Seed a Barren Sky
by Lithius Osmius
Summary: The seeds of destiny are planted among the stars of the barren sky. Through tears of blood and sorrow, Kira and his allies will grow until they become blossoms of hope, shining amidst the chaos of war. AU, SEEDxDestiny cross. Ten Gundams, No OCs.
1. Phase 1: Halcyon

"I'm unsure of… _this_," Reese, captain of the Earth Alliance's new warship, _Archangel_, intently eyed the face displayed on the monitor.

"What brought_ this_ doubt about?" Despite his pleasant smile, Muruta Azrael had such a… malicious air about him -even all the way from _Earth_- that it was difficult for Reese _not_ to turn the console off. "I'm very assured of my decision. After all, isn't Halberton's pet project short a couple pilots? I just figured he wouldn't mind a… helping hand."

Reese narrowed his eyes. "Is Admiral Halberton aware of this?"

Azrael's eyes held a mischievous glint, though it was off-balanced by his malign aura. "Not quite yet. I figured I'd surprise him. After all, everyone likes a surprise."

_Everyone…except Halberton, especially on this issue_, Reese mentally replied. _Admiral is going to wanna' skin Azrael alive for this_.

It didn't take a Coordinator to realize that Muruta Azrael was a supporter of the fanatic group Blue Cosmos. Halberton and Reese both hated them with a purple passion. Men who pursued the ideals of destruction and death of others were not fit to be called humans. Both men wanted this war to end; Cosmos wanted it to escalate until genocide was wrought.

Which is why this meeting stung Reese so badly.

Ever since the G-weapon project began, Halberton kept a careful eye on it, making sure no outside groups put their hands in where they shouldn't. _Especially_ Blue Cosmos. The admiral himself _carefully_ hand-picked the crewmen, the pilots, and the officers manning the hidden project so that no anti-Coordinator sentiment touched the ranks. However, Reese never expected for Azrael to discover the project and make such a deft maneuver, especially right under Halberton's nose.

Thank God, though, that Azrael only knew about six of the ten weapons. Reese couldn't imagine _five_ of those… people.

Across the screen, Azrael frowned. "You shouldn't grimace. Not good for the face, you know?" Translation: _Is there something wrong with my idea, subordinate?_

"Sir, I…" Reese carefully chose his words, his posture straightening as he did, "…question the... _ethics_ behind both your choice and the program from which the pilot hails from."

"_Ethics_…?" Muruta smirked. "I see no problem with the ethics. I agree that the training was a little intense, but you shouldn't be so quick to judge the program."

"But, sir, that's a human-"

Reese stopped at Azrael's pointed glare. "I see no _human_." Muruta sighed, leaning against his hand as if bored. "I don't see why you're complaining. I want this war to end as well. I'm only doing what I believe to speed up the process. This is the end of the conversation. Oh, and I'll personally inform Halberton; I'm sure he'll understand."

The captain of the _Archangel_ sighed as the screen went blank, rubbing the side of his face to vainly relieve stress.

Looking down at the file on his desk, Reese took a seat and flipped through it, his outlook saddening more and more as he read on.

They didn't even consider the pilot human.

"Monster, thy name is Azrael," Reese muttered, stashing the file away in his desk.

-0-

"Azrael, are you sure this was a wise decision?" came a voice from a nearby screen, a higher ranked member of the Blue Cosmos. "The First Stage Extendeds haven't even been tested, and yet we're placing a _Second Stage_ Extended within Halberton's project? The Biological CPU you intend to send into this hornet's nest hasn't even been properly conditioned _yet_!"

Muruta sipped his wine before answering. "True, it is a _little_ soon to even hint at the project, but we need to get a grip on the G-weapon project. I chose a second generation over the first because they were more stable –albeit weaker. It'll keep Halberton from getting too nosy."

"But they haven't been perfected yet!" the man's voice sounded flustered, much to Muruta's amusement. "Although the particular CPU you've chosen has completed the physical enhancements, it still hasn't undergone the mental training. It could become rebellious! There are so many variables and yet you _still_ wish to follow through with this hare-brained scheme?"

"It is a risk we have to take for our _blue and pure world._"

-0-

"This mission is stupid, with a capital 'S'!" groaned Rusty Mackenzie as he pulled on his flight suit. "Isn't Heliopolis neutral? I mean, what if the information is wrong and we end up looking like a bunch idiots? Not to mention pissing-off Orb."

Yzak Joule had enough, pausing preparations with his gun to reprimand his squad mate. "Will you _shut up_! I'm sure the information they gave us was accurate!"

Another voice interrupted, belonging to one Dearka Elsman. "Besides, it makes sense they'd build new weapons; they're getting pretty desperate to match us."

Rusty snorted.

It did make sense. Mobieus units –no matter the design- were several years out-of-date (like the stale chips Rusty mentally reminded himself to remove from his bag). In the long run, ZAFT outmatched the Earth Alliance through sheer quality of weaponry and people, and given enough time the war would end in ZAFT's favor. But if the Earth Alliance developed a means to match ZAFT's GINN series, the working horse of their military, then the war would hit a stalemate.

"I've got a question," Yzak said, turning his attention to Rusty. "How the hell did you become a red-coat and a member of our squadron?"

Rusty mocked-thought about it and then shrugged as if the answer was nowhere in sight. "Maybe it was through hard work… instead of having a parent on the council to suck up to."

"Why _you_…!" Yzak growled, preparing to let his fists do the talking.

Dearka shook his head at the sight of Yzak's notorious temper, and the laid a hand on the white-haired youth's shoulder, calming the boy if only for the moment. Rusty chuckled, tasting the satisfaction of getting under Yzak's skin.

"Seriously, Yzak," Rusty said, this time carrying a friendly smile, "you might want to consider taking some anger management classes. The high blood pressure might get to your head."

Yzak instead turned back to his gun, mumbling something about 'stupid redheads'. Dearka sighed, glad that their playful bickering stopped an hour short of what it normally went on to.

Rusty was the glue that held the group together. Though he may butt heads with his teammates, he held closely to his squad. When everything seemed monotonous or dark, Rusty would pipe up and ruin the atmosphere; if one of them was upset, he'd be upset with that person; if there was someone you could trust, it was Rusty. Without him, they weren't sure how things might've become. It definitely would've been duller without the redhead's carefree, rebellious, and joking personality.

"I see that you guys are getting along nicely," a voice noted from the doorway.

The three turned to find Athrun Zala at the doorway, already prepped for their mission.

"What makes you think _that_?" Rusty asked as he returned to his gun, the false innocence in his voice countered by his smirk.

"Besides the fact that you were giving Yzak a hard time," Nicol said as he moved past Athrun, "I'd say you guys are doing fine."

Rusty snickered. "He makes it way too easy."

From across the room, Yzak tossed his screwdriver at the redhead, earning several choice words to his satisfaction. With a smirk, he ducked under Rusty's retaliatory flathead, earning another string of curses.

"Enough with the antics, you two," Athrun ordered, holding a hand to his face despite the lighthearted smile on his face. How exactly did he get stuck with this band of hooligans?

And to believe they were about to go out to battle… Such were the wiles of war.

Ever since the Bloody Valentine Tragedy, the Naturals –people born without tampered genes- and the Coordinators –people born with superior, manipulated genes- have fought a long, bloody war. Originally, it was predicted that the Earth Alliance would come out victorious with their superior numbers. How wrong they had been… ZAFT, with their mobile suits and superior soldiers, put a stopper on the Earth Alliance advancement, thereby bringing the war to a long, bloody crawl. The scale had yet to tip, but with their new mission, it was now possible.

Athrun looked around. "We're missing someone."

"Indeed," agreed Rusty, taking in the group. "We're one card shy of a full deck."

"We'll, we're now a full deck," a new, feminine voice said, catching everyone's attention.

Shiho Hahnenfuss floated into the room, taking a seat next to Yzak. Rusty shook his head at the sight. If only Yzak wasn't such a dense blockhead…

Although the mission originally only required five people to infiltrate Morgenroete, Inc. one more had to be selected. A week before final preparations could be made, there had been an update to the information received, and thus required another member. Although there'd been many options, Shiho had been the number one choice for a variety of reasons.

Despite being the only girl of the group, Shiho got along well with her peers. She was quiet, and had a no-nonsense attitude (making her a choice target of Rusty's brand of humor), but at the same time, she wasn't above giving the boys a hard time. To the more perceptive members of the group (Athrun, Nicol, and Rusty), Shiho's secret crush on Yzak wasn't such a secret. All in all, she was well-received.

Athrun nodded. "Now that we're all present, here's the information we received…"

-0-

Murrue Ramius sighed as she flipped through papers on a clipboard. Today was going to be a long day. How she knew that was beyond even her, but somehow she just knew.

Oh, what she'd _give_ to have her old life back as a teacher with a boyfriend that piloted mobile armors… War would be nothing more than pictures of distant lands with unsolved issues. She'd then turn the channel and worry about mundane issues. In a day, though, her world crashed, and now she was here at Morgenroete, Inc. making prototype weapons. How could Life, with its twisted sense of humor, land her a job at a weapon's factory on a 'neutral' colony? It was amazing how irony could be such a _bitch_.

She looked up from her clipboard, watching as the workers refined the prototype G-Weapons. There were ten in all, amazingly. Originally, only five were slated to be created, but the higher-ups had such high hopes for the project that they ordered five more to be made. In just several months they finished four and were currently on the finishing touches of the last.

Her eyes traced over each one. Lying in their own respective holding containers like bodies inside unfinished caskets, the mobile suits were almost ready for loading into the _Archangel_, the warship made specifically to launch such weapons.

They were truly quite the works of art, Murrue thought to herself. Compared to the standard GINN, these weapons, in the right hands, could _easily_ turn the tide of the war. Each one was built differently, all bearing their own unique abilities and weapons.

"At least I'm not one of the guys piloting these things…" muttered Murrue as she turned back to her clipboard.

Even with how powerful the machines were, the pilots were subpar. Many believed the problem lay within the OS system itself, which Murrue could believe. Naturals were new to using mobile suits of any kind, and as such had yet to build a Natural-friendly OS system. What they had, though, was the best they could offer.

"Hey, Lieutenant Ramius!" a worker called out. "I could use some help over here!"

Murrue rolled her eyes. "Alright, just give me a second."

Maybe it wasn't the OS. Maybe _they_ were the stupid ones.

Lingering in the back of her mind, though, was the dreadful feeling that today was going to be a _very_ long day.

-0-

Heliopolis… The air still smelled of peace. Everyone confined within its hourglass-like structure held a carefree attitude, the wiles of war nothing but a special on the news. Like a lighthouse in a stormy night, its beacon of peace attracted people like moths to a street light. Even the PLANTs, known for their lush landscapes, could not compare to the paradise that was Heliopolis.

But that didn't mean Shinn Asuka had to like it. In his personal opinion, Orb was far better.

"Come on!" Mayu squealed excitedly. "We have so many places to visit! The shops here have so much stuff compared to home!" She took off ahead of him.

Shinn groaned as he hefted Mayu's bags of newly purchased clothes and articles.

At least in Orb, _this _wouldn't happen.

"Hurry up!" his little sister urged.

"Will you give me a minute?" Shinn retorted, adjusting the bags for easier carrying.

They walked on for several minutes, Mayu enjoying the atmosphere while Shinn grumbled incoherently. Not even several minutes later, Mayu rushed into another store, leaving her older brother outside.

Shinn sighed. Free of his little sister for a short time, he sat on a bench and placed the bags next to him. It was the pattern he followed since he started this expedition (that's what it certainly felt like) –shopping never was his thing.

_Whose_ idea was it again to take a vacation at Heliopolis? Ah, yes, his parents.

"'_You should go,_' they said," Shinn grumbled. "_'It's nice and peaceful!_' Mom, I'm beginning to think you're liar."

It wasn't that he didn't love his little sister, but, _good God_, she could shop!

He'd been the equivalent of a pack mule his entire time here. Carrying the luggage, carrying the shopping bags, carrying _everything else_… Where was the relaxing part, exactly?

Something caught the corner of his eye. Shinn turned towards it, his eyebrows raising as he watched a girl his age dancing in front of a store window, tracing her reflection's movements and smiling without a care. Intrigued, Shinn cocked his head, carefully following the girl's movements. The bag hanging from her side bounced as she twirled about.

But then she stopped. She turned towards him, her vivid magenta eyes narrowing at Shinn. It took a minute for Shinn's brain to catch up and realize the glare was directed towards him, igniting a blush on his cheeks. The strange blond took off before he could move.

"What're you doing?" Mayu asked, breaking Shinn out of his daze.

"Oh, uh… what?" asked Shinn dazedly, his face still flushed.

-0-

Stella Loussier decided she really liked space colonies. They were so colorful! And there were so many people. She didn't know people could make so much noise, either; and they were just as colorful, wearing all those different clothes in various shapes and styles. Everything was a new sensation for her, all the noise, all the people conglomerated together liked the flocking birds she watched at base.

It was so unlike the dull and colorless -emotionless and lifeless- base she lived at. There, they were soldiers – living, breathing weapons. There was nothing but the mission and their opponents blocking their way. But here, all of that seemed so… _distant_.

As distracting as her first experiencing in public was, it didn't detract from the principles they pounded into her head. The mission came first.

It was simple: she was to head to join Archangel's crew where she'd proceed to deliver the schematics of the suits and keep tab on the pilots and crew. Though, the higher-ups never gave her anything beyond that. But she wasn't about to question orders (another ideal they pounded into her head).

Until she met up with the other pilots, though, she wanted to at least act like a civilian. It wasn't everyday anyone from the base got let out! Stella even got a chance to purchase a cute blue dress to wear as she traversed through civilian territory.

The experience overall -and the freedom her fledgling wings felt- was like a high. And she didn't want it to end.

She looked at the watch wrapped tightly around her wrist. Pressing a button, she was relieved to discover she still had a few hours before she needed to switch out her 'medicine'. Without thought, she pressed a hand against her bag, as if to reassure herself that none of 'it' was going to disappear.

Being an Extended had so many limitations…

Reminding herself that she had certain obligations, she skipped away to find the factory.

She stopped long enough to stare at a gazebo where a teen with a toy bird was typing away at the computer. The bird looked at her and cocked its head, Stella repeating the gesture without thought.

Shaking her head, she continued onward.

-0-

Even among Coordinators, Kira was _above_ gifted. Though, even he didn't quite understand the scale of that difference. Some of what he could do was subtle; other things were more obvious.

Kira, having an exemplary mind, had skills in computer programming that made it a practical art form. Hacking the Earth Alliance database? Child's play! Hacking ZAFT's military database? The Rubix cube was harder! (And it took Kira only thirty-two seconds to find the answer to the damn puzzle his first time round while his friends had toyed with it for almost a month.) Needless to say, Kira easily won the bet, whether or not he could hack military databases... simultaneously.

However, today Kira was cursing his abilities as he typed away at his laptop with the same skill and adeptness a protégé piano player displayed (though, none of the flair). Professor Kato dumped enough work on him that a Natural computer program would've broke down and cried by now; he didn't know what his teacher's issues were, but the guy was a _serious_ slave driver.

"Tori!" chirped Birdy, landing lightly on Kira's shoulder.

"Kira!" shouted a familiar voice.

Said teen turned towards the source to find two of his close friends, Tolle Koenig and Miriallia Haw coming his way.

He gave them a light wave. "Hey guys!"

"You know, the professor's been trying contact you for a while," said Tolle.

Kira groaned. "_Again?_ I haven't even finished the stuff he dumped on me _yesterday_!_"_

Tolle glanced at Kira's laptop. "New developments in the news?"

"Yeah," Kira said, sobering. "Taiwan."

After listening to the week old report about Kaohsiung, the group of friends headed towards the lab, where Kira was sure he was about to get dumped another workload.

-0-

The maintenance hatch opened. They were in.

Six redcoats glided inside, followed closely by their four green-coat escorts.

Athrun was relieved that everything was going so smoothly. Although they hadn't found any trace of these supposed EA mobile suits, he was sure _something_ was up.

Like any good soldier, Athrun still kept Murphy's Law in mind: If everything was going smoothly, they might've overlooked something. And for some odd reason, he had a sinking feeling they did just _that._

-0-

Kira and his friends were admitted into Professor Kato's lab.

The first person to greet them was Sai, looking past his own monitor. "Ah, Kira, you finally made it."

"Who's that?" Tolle asked as he walked through the doorway, pointing towards a slim boy with a brown coat and hat.

"A guest of the professors, who was apparently told to wait here," Sai answered, holding up a disk. "Anyways… Kira, this is for you. It's extra stuff."

Kira groaned as he plopped down in a seat. "_Great_… Extra stuff he says…"

-0-

Cagalli slowly inched towards the professor's door, jiggling the handle when she got close enough. Much to her luck, it was locked. Biting back a curse, she returned to her original position.

She heard rumors. Cagalli hoped beyond hope that the rumors were just that: rumors. If they weren't, the entire country of Orb would be in peril of losing the neutrality they struggled so much for. She _needed_ to see everything with her own eyes.

Unfortunately, until Kato got back, she was stuck here…

The Orb princess watched as Tolle pulled Kira into a headlock, elicting laughter from all around. Cagalli didn't laugh, though.

-0-

Stella frowned. She was late getting to Morgenroete. So caught up in the sights and colors of the outside world, she lost track of time. By now, she should've met with the other pilots! Would Captain Reese harshly berate her like the trainers-

She suddenly lost her balance as the ground shook.

Righting herself, she frowned as she looked about, the people around her as confused as she was.

This wasn't normal… Everyone acted as if their day-to-day lives were suddenly interrupted. What was she supposed to do _now_?

Wait… She recognized the aftershocks! they were a tell-tale sign of-

"_Attention citizens, please proceed to the nearest shelter in calm and orderly fashion,"_ announced a nearby intercom.

Stella tuned out the rest of the message, gunning towards the source of the shaking, a hand on her knife.

She could recognize the aftereffects of sabotage –it was one of the many skills they trained her in, among computer programming and hacking, espionage, and assassination. Something was going on, and she had a feeling it had something to do with the project.

-0-

"I can't believe this!" Shinn whined. "Our vacation is ruined because of some stupid technical difficulties."

"I hope all our stuff is okay back at the hotel…" Mayu muttered as she closely followed her brother into the crowds heading towards the lifeboats.

Shinn sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he did. "I wonder when we'll be able to meet with Mom and Dad again."

"I think we're being attacked," Shinn overheard from a passing couple, particularly the girlfriend. "Does ZAFT have anything to do with it?"

"ZAFT…?" muttered Shinn, his eyebrows knitted together.

Wasn't Heliopolis neutral? Orb always kept its hands out of the world's affairs, so by extension Heliopolis followed. It was downright insane that ZAFT would attack a neutral nation. Maybe the citizens were over-exaggerating… Yeah, that was probably it. There's _no way_ ZAFT had that kind of stupidity!

Hopefully the mess would clear up soon. Shinn was sure that his parents were suffering heart attacks by now.

-0-

"That's it!" said Yzak smugly as he looked through his binoculars. "There they are… just like Commander Le Creuset told us."

"What? That if we prod them enough, they'll crawl out of the holes they were hiding in?" asked Dearka with humor.

"Of course," replied Yzak in a cocky tone. "After all, the Naturals are stupid and pathetic."

"ACHOOO!" Rusty's sneeze came out nowhere, breaking everyone's line of thoughts.

Everyone turned towards the redhead, finding his glass face-plate covered in saliva and mucous, much to his embarrassment.

"That's nasty," Dearka commented with an amused grin.

Yzak was openly laughing while Shiho bit her lip to prevent it from coming out, though was failing miserably; Athrun simply face-palmed –count on Rusty to ruin the atmosphere.

With a grumble, Rusty took off his helmet and began cleaning it.

Nicol interrupted everyone's amusement. "Guys, there's only four suits." Everyone quickly turned serious. "The other two must be in the warehouse."

"How long until Miguel and the others arrive?" Shiho asked, looking downward.

Athrun answered: "They should arrive after they're done cleaning up the outside. Afterwards, they'll land inside and destroy any unnecessary equipment. After they've done their sweeps, it'll be our job to steal the suits."

"Who'll be the lucky winners to steal the ones inside the factory?" Dearka asked –he was aiming for the one with the large guns on its hips; hopefully he wouldn't be chosen.

"I'll go," Athrun said. "I'll take Rusty with me."

"Dammit!" Rusty cried, his helmet back on his head –complete with smear marks. "I was going to call dibs on number four over there!" It earned a glare from Dearka, since that was one he wanted.

Athrun rolled his eyes. "Now's not the time for jokes. We have a job to do."

Rusty muttered another curse, but seceded to the fact he was stuck with the short end of the stick. There was no doubt that the Morgenroete employees weren't going to hand over their precious mobile suits without a fight. Because they were cooped up inside the factory, Miguel and his team wouldn't be able to sweep them out.

"What's the hell is up with this day?" Rusty asked, more to himself than others.

"Get over yourself!" Yzak almost shouted.

"That's enough!" Athrun intervened, silencing both before they could argue. "Now is not the time! Rusty, let's go!"

-0-

The moment the bombs went off, everything became a blur for Murrue. On instinct alone, she dove for the nearest rifle. After gaining a weapon, Murrue perched herself atop the _GAT-X105 Strike_, which lay comfortably between the _GAT-X 104 Maul _and _GAT-X303 Aegis_. She looked beyond the _Aegis_, finding the _GAT-X207 Raid _nearby_,_ the _GAT-X106 Reach_ just beyond it, and _GAT-X304 Estoc_ at the farthest distance_._

They couldn't let these machines fall into ZAFT hands. Murrue would be damned before she let them. The G-Weapons were just too vital to the Earth Alliance!

"Everyone!" she shouted. "Get ready! We can't let ZAFT have these machines!"

There were several agreements as workers ran to and fro, finding a comfortable spot where they could fight back. Things were about to get ugly.

Murrue spared a second to wonder if the _Archangel _was okay. She then relaxed, realizing that such a machine wouldn't fall prey to such tactics, not without an extremely lucky hit; it'd almost take an act of God to sink that ship.

Gunfire erupted, followed by six ZAFT soldiers bursting through the doors like bats out of Hell –four green-coats and two redcoats. With agility only a Coordinator could display, two of the greens scrambled to higher ground while the other two supported the reds.

Murrue took aim and fired.

-0-

Shinn and Mayu followed the stream of people towards their destination, hoping to reach the lifeboats before they filled and were required to head elsewhere.

As they were coming up the stairs, Shinn couldn't help but let his eyes wonder, curious as to what could cause everyone to panic. He still believed it to be a false alarm; so far, Mayu or he had yet to see anything that would warrant any safety precautions.

Just as he turned back to the stairs, a familiar head of golden hair caught his eye. Quickly turning towards it, he watched as the girl he saw several hours earlier ran past the flow of people and turned abruptly, running down a long corridor and taking a right.

"Wait… the lifeboats are _this_ way," Shinn muttered. "What is she doing?"

"Hmm, what?" Mayu asked, barely catching her brother's question to no-one.

Shinn tried his best to ignore what he saw, but he wasn't getting very far. _Maybe she tried to find other less crowded lifeboats. Or she could be lost. Or… Oh, damn it! Why am I even worried about her!_ He tried to ignore the fleeting image, but it buzzed through his mind. _Screw it!_

"Mayu, get to the lifeboats," Shinn ordered and then ran off towards the direction he saw the blond girl take before Mayu could voice her objections.

"Hey, wait!" his sister tried to order, only to for it fall on deaf ears.

When she saw her brother disappear around the corner, her nose wrinkled in anger. With as much impulse as her brother had a habit of displaying, Mayu disobeyed and trailed after.

-0-

"Here they come," muttered Yzak.

A loud roar echoed through the colony. The citizens of Heliopolis looked up and watched in horror as three GINNs soared through the skies. In a span of several minutes, the machines terrorized the convoy sprawled across the main street, destroying all unnecessary equipment. The undersupplied Morgenroete employees were wiped out within mere moments.

"That's our cue," announced Yzak, jumping off his perch and dashing for his chosen Mobile Suit.

Shiho followed her crush's example and sprinted after him. Dearka and Nicol followed closely behind.

"Our targets are in those trailers! Ignore everything else!" ordered Yzak over the comm. line. "Destroy anything you can't carry!"

"_Don't worry, kiddies; we know our job_," came the amused response from the GINNs.

Hitting the bridge, the group let their guns blaze, tagging the stragglers that Miguel's group missed. One pulled out a grenade and lobbed it into a freight truck, catching it ablaze. Another threw several grenades at once, immediately silencing a large group surrounding one of the Suits.

Shiho broke off from the group, gunning for the first MS of the line. With her equipment, it didn't take long to reach the cockpit. Falling inside, she immediately went to work, activating the systems. Within seconds, the screens came to life. She turned towards the computer screen, watching as it flashed through its initial setup.

"_GAT-X209 Siege_," Shiho muttered. "This machine is actually quite impressive."

Being supposedly Natural-friendly, Shiho expected many things when she accepted this mission. But, she may've over-imagined the differences she expected to find. It was impressive over all.

-0-

"How did the Earth Alliance develop beam weapons before us?" Yzak wondered aloud in astonishment. "Considering all things, this is actually… impressive. Even if they were developed by Naturals…" He mumbled out the last part.

Just as he flicked the comm. link on, he watched as Shiho's mobile suit rose out of its cradle.

Yzak always thought that GINNs and CGUEs were impressive, state-of-the-art machines, the next great advancement to warfare. However, it was eclipsed as he took in the sight of the mobile suit before him. It was slightly taller than the GINN, sporting a longer skirt than its other rising brethren; two wing-like projections extended from its back, and looked as if they could split down the middle; the machines armor looked slightly thicker than the others as well.

Joule flipped on the comm. link. "Shiho, what's your opinion?"

It took a moment to receive a reply. _"When I first entered the cockpit, I was impressed. _Now_… I'm awed."_

"_They're that good?"_ Dearka questioned over the line.

Shiho's voice carried a note of excitement. "_These mobile suits are more advance than anything we have in development currently!_" Her voice trailed. "_I wonder how… Wait, they were developed at Morgenroette, which would partly explain the developments; no doubt that the design team composed of both Coordinators and Naturals. Nonetheless, these are some impressive pieces of hardware."_

Yzak couldn't help but agree.

Nicol interrupted everyone's appraising. _"What about Athrun and Rusty? With these new machines we could-"_

"Don't think so little of them," Yzak interrupted, taking leadership of the group. "They can take care of themselves. _We_ have to get these machines out of here."

"_Yeah, and it's not like we can do anything with operating systems like_ these," there was awe in Dearka's voice, though it was for just how pathetic the OS looked.

"_No kidding,"_ Shiho interjected –she, on the other hand, sounded insulted by the audacity the Naturals had for even creating the OS.

"Let's get out of here," Yzak suggested/ordered.

The four machines activated their thrusters and took off.

-0-

"Wait, come back!" Kira yelled as he chased after the professor's guest.

He managed to grab the person's hand, but behind them an explosion rung, destroying their exit and making them both topple to the ground. Much to their discomfort, Kira landed on top. Embarrassed, he pulled himself off, grabbing the person's hand.

It was then he noticed the missing hat. Without it, he could get a clear view of what he determined to be a female's face.

"Hey, wait, you're a _girl_?" he asked, sounding stunned.

"Yeah," she bitingly shot back as she stood. "What else did you think I _was_?"

"Uh…" was his smart reply.

After his brain finally rebooted from the shock (even Coordinators were prone to brain malfunctions), Kira decided to file her as a 'tomboy' in his mind, since she definitely didn't act like any other girl he met so far.

Shaking his head, Kira grabbed her wrist.

"Hey, what are you-?" the girl tried to question, only for him to interrupt and begin dragging her along.

Kira answered her unfinished question: "I know where some lifeboats are from here."

With reluctance, Cagalli followed his lead. It wasn't like she had many other options anyways.

-0-

Shinn saw a trace of a blue dress as he turned another corner.

Just barely was he able to keep her in his sights. The blond was fast, and evidently knew where she was going; Shinn didn't, and continued to follow with hopes of getting out of what he determined to be a factory.

_Where is she going?_ Shinn questioned with a frown.

He turned one last time, only to skid to a stop as the sound of a gunfight echoed in his ears, not unlike firecrackers exploding irregularly.

Despite his wariness, Asuka was curious. Did ZAFT _really_ attack a neutral colony like the rumors suggested? There was a _lot_ of shaking since he entered the building…

"Shinn!" Mayu shouted, gaining said teen's attention and looking none too pleased.

"Mayu?" Shinn's surprise was written all over his face. "I thought I said to get to the shelters!"

"You're not my boss!" she countered, her glare intensifying. "_You're_ the one that ran off!"

"Yeah, but…" he couldn't refute his little sister. "Damn it…"

Mayu sighed, walking ahead of her brother. "Come on. I'm sure there are some lifeboats ahead of us."

It was Shinn's turn to sigh, but he didn't allow words to escape. His mind was still on where the strange girl ran off to. And the guns that were blazing intensely ahead of them.

"What's going on?" Mayu questioned aloud.

-0-

"Isn't this quite the can of worms we've gotten ourselves into?" Rusty yelled from behind a computer desk, ducking as a bullet almost hit its mark.

"How could the information be _this_ off?" Athrun yelled in frustration. "There were supposed to be only _six _machines, not _ten_!"

Rusty jumped up and threw a grenade, killing four more workers hiding near one of the machines. Both then moved forward, inching ever closer to the prizes. Even as they got closer, enemy fire seemed to increase two-fold.

"What do we do?" Rusty asked above the cacophonous sounds of battle.

"We have no choice," Athrun answered. "We'll have to detonate the others."

The team's redhead hopped up and began pouring rounds into the crowds. Two engineers were killed, but two others took their place, much to Rusty's irritation.

"Sounds like a- OH SHIT!" Rusty ducked, barely dodging the bullets meant to kill him. Instead, the bullet ricocheted off the metal plate of a G-Weapon.

"I'm just one lucky son-of-a-gun today, aren't I?" Rusty announced good-heartedly, though he was noticeably sweating on the inside of his helmet.

"Don't do anything stupid!" Athrun reprimanded, glaring at his partner. "I don't want to have to bring you back in a body bag!"

"Only because you don't want to tell the others how it happened," Rusty shot back. "Thanks for the concern, though."

Athrun roared as a he ran across the floor, killing the mechanics that had aimed to kill his friend. Not only that, he was now near one of the new Mobile Suits.

-0-

The duo stopped as they heard the sound of gunfire ringing through the hall. Cautiously, they moved forward until they entered the large warehouse. Coming up to the railing, they watched the battle for the G-Weapons unfold before their eyes on the floor below. A small group of ZAFT soldiers were battling against a much larger force of workers and engineers. Although three of the ZAFT soldiers had fallen, the defenders suffered a tenfold of casualties.

But that wasn't what caused Kira to gasp in shock; it was the six machines lying silently in cradles… machines of incredible design.

"Whoa…" Kira breathed. "Those are…"

Cagalli's eyes widened too, even more shocked at the sight than Kira. There were six weapons in this room alone! The rumors had been true; her father _did_ approve of building these weapons.

She fell to her knees from numb shock. The edges of her eyes stung from gathering tears, the stabbing pain of betrayal coursing through her chest. If ZAFT questioned Orb and its involvement, would Orb be able to maintain the neutrality they fought for?

"I knew it…" Cagalli collapsed to her knees. "The Earth Forces prototype mobile weapons. Father, I knew you betrayed us all!"

Her outburst garnered the attention Kira knew was bad for the health. He jumped back, pulling her with him and dodging several bullets.

"Come on!" he ordered, dragging her with him.

As the fighting raged, Kira and Cagalli dashed for the lifeboats, keeping their heads low to avoid stray bullets. Each pushed harder as they came to the elevators leading to their salvation and escape from battle. Only one was lit up with a green light.

Kira pushed the call button and a voice came over the intercom. _"__Is there someone out there?__"_

"Yes. My friend and I need to get in. Please open the door," Kira answered.

_"__Sorry but we're full to capacity as it is. Try the shelters in the left block.__"_

"Please, at least take the girl," Kira pleaded.

"_Alright, but we can't take anymore."_ The elevator door opened.

Kira quickly shoved Cagalli in, but the blond wasn't making it easy.

"What are you doing?" she asked in shock.

Finally, Kira's genetically-enhanced strength prevailed. And before the girl could come up with a counter, he shut the doors and sent her down to the lifeboat, much to her chagrin.

One mission accomplished, Kira quickly formulated a 'plan B.' He turned towards the only remaining exit.

Just as the Coordinator reached it, a young boy with dark, tousled hair and vivid crimson eyes skidded to a stop in front of them. He was followed closely by an even younger girl.

"Hey!" messy-hair greeted, sounding urgent.

"What are you-!" Kira tried to question, only to be interrupted by the newcomer.

"Hey, I'm looking for a lifeboat! Are there…" He trailed off as he took in the devastation around him.

The young girl was quick to identify the aggressors. "Z-ZAFT?"

"Quick, follow-" Kira ran ahead, only to be blasted back as the corridor exploded. The air displacement sent the three flying the other way.

"Ah, my head…" Shinn groaned as he rubbed his temple.

"W-What just happened?" Mayu muttered dazedly as she recovered.

-0-

Murrue lowered her gun at the sight of the three very lost teens. She could see their exit had exploded, cutting them off from escape.

Why they were here escaped her thoughts, but, nonetheless, they were in battle zone. Maybe the reason was because they got separated from the main group. Unable to get back, they headed towards the nearest lifeboats, which happened to be here-

Murrue was cut from her thoughts as the boy yelled: "Look behind you!"

She did as told and immediately pegged the last ZAFT green-coat before he could pull the trigger.

"Thanks!" she yelled back, then turning her attention to the last remaining ZAFT soldiers: the redcoats.

The four green-coats that accompanied the redcoats weren't nearly as skilled as their superiors. Despite their deaths, the green-coats still laid waste to the coworkers defending the machines. The only remaining workers were pinned under the _Aegis _by the red duo_._

She turned back towards the teens watching from above. "Run!" she ordered, gathering their attention. "The factory is about to explode! If you want to live, you'll have to get inside the cockpits; you'll be safe insider there!"

-0-

"Come on, Mayu!" Shinn ordered. "It's our only ticket out of here!"

"But-" she was cut off.

"There's no other way!" Shinn roared.

He took off, followed shortly by his sister.

Kira, though, hesitated, unsure of what to do. Rather, he was hoping an escape route would miraculously reveal itself.

-0-

"How many do we have left?" Athrun asked, holding his gun to his chest as he hid behind the foot of the _Aegis_.

Rusty looked underneath the large transport. "I spy fifteen. Betcha' I could get them all in one attack."

Rusty pulled out his last two grenades and held them between his fingers. In one swift motion, he pulled the rings and rolled them under the transport, right on target. The employees looked down in horror, and before any could react the grenades exploded, killing everyone in range. The redhead gave one last look before he sighed in relief.

Both then rolled out of the way as gunfire peppered the ground near them. The two hid behind whatever cover was nearby, Athrun behind a barrel and Rusty behind an upturned desk.

"I thought we killed them all!" Athrun yelled.

Rusty barely looked up from his hiding spot, only to duck as gun fire peppered his defense.

"It's only one person," Rusty told Athrun. "The problem is her positioning. She's right on top one of the mobile suits."

Athrun began circling through plans in his mind. Because the enemy was at a high point she had the advantage; while they were pinned, she could move about freely. He then looked at his ammo, noting how little he had. That was a problem.

"Hey, Rusty! How much ammo do you have?"

The cursing was all Athrun needed to hear. "I'm out! How 'bout you?"

"I've got several shots left."

"Well, you got a plan coming along, or what?" Athrun didn't need to know how much Rusty was now relying on him. Out of the entire group, Rusty was a real on-the-wire thinker, but he could plan about as well as he could play the piano –it was an ugly experience that day; Nicol looked at his friend like he committed blasphemy.

"Alright, I've got an idea," Athrun began to explain. "I'm willing to gamble and say she's almost out of ammo. I'll have her waste the last of it, and then you'll sneak around while I attack from the front. Sneak up from behind…"

"…And stab her in the back," finished Rusty, though frowning. "Not my style, but it'll do."

Athrun rolled out of his cover and began unleashing what bullets he had left.

-0-

Shinn, with Mayu nipping at his heels, clambered to the nearest machine. His desperation to leave this proverbial hell was so great he almost swan-dived into the cockpit when it came into sight. His sister, on the other hand, demurely climbed downward, landing next to him. The older Asuka was quick to get comfortable in the cockpit while his sister hung from behind the seat.

"Okay, where's the button to close it?" Shinn asked, the stress of the situation easily coloring his voice.

Just as he identified the large button with 'cockpit' displayed over it, Mayu almost smashed the button in an attempt to close it. Within seconds, the cockpit closed with a hiss.

Taking a deep breath, Shinn concentrated on their situation. Now out of immediate danger, the next step was to get the hell out of the factory. Unfoturtunately, they were stuck in this cockpit-

Shinn was impulsive, almost nigh infamous back at home. It got him into a lot of trouble. His parents kept telling to 'use his head' until they were blue in the face, but of course he never listened. Other days, it worked for him.

Today might be one of those days.

Though, whether this decision was going to be a smart one was going to be a hot debate. For later, of course.

"Hey, Mayu," Shinn asked, doing his best to keep the excitement out of his voice, "what do you think about going for a test drive?"

Now to consult the owner's manual!

-0-

Stella's fingers raced across the keyboard at a lightning pace, using every programming trick in the book to get the OS to a suitable level of use. The straps were already buckled in, the screens were active, and the suit was humming to life.

While everyone fought outside, Stella used the distraction to sneak into the machine farthest from the fight. Given some peace, she immediately went to work.

Being an Extended was similar to being a Coordinator, and thus the OS was subpar to what she needed. Compared to some Coordinators and their abilities, it was slow-going to create a customized one for her specific taste, but not overly so. Given a couple more minutes, she'd be ready for combat.

She just hoped the _GAT-X304 Estoc_ lived up to the hype her superiors gave it.

-0-

Murrue quickly pressed herself against the G-Weapon, dodging the bullets from the ZAFT soldier. She quickly jumped up and fired a stream of hot lead at the soldier, but the enemy just ran ahead of her attacks and slid behind a desk. After a second, he leapt up into the air and landed atop the G-Weapon. Murrue backed away as she pulled the trigger, only to find, to her horror, she was out of bullets.

Tossing the gun aside, she pulled out her pistol and took aim at the charging ZAFT redcoat as he pulled out his combat knife. The weapon in her hands blazed, but the soldier nimbly dodged her attacks with timing that could only be expected of a Coordinator.

Unbeknownst to Murrue as she attacked Athrun, Rusty was quietly sneaking up behind her, pulling his knife from his shoulder.

-0-

Kira didn't know why he reacted so strongly to what he was seeing. Looking back on it, he thought it was a stupid decision.

But it was still one of a number of decisions that shaped the future.

He leapt from the rail, all the while shouting for the lady to look out. It was enough to startle everyone.

Rusty was the first to react. "What the hell?" The lady turned and fired at him. "Damn it! Not again!" He leapt away before another bullet tried to make claim on his soul.

Kira and the other soldier, though, were both looking at each other with unbridled shock.

There, behind the visor was Athrun Zala, Kira's best friend.

"A-Athrun?" Kira shakily asked.

The redcoat leapt away as he spied the worker spinning to deal hot lead through his head. It was then the factory began to destabilize, knocking everyone off balance. Explosions rocked the building while fires erupted.

Before Kira could recover his thoughts from his chance encounter, the lady pushed him into the cockpit and dived in after.

-0-

"Notgoodnotgoodnotgood!" Rusty said himself into a mantra as he rushed towards the nearest machine.

It didn't take a class-A Coordinator to realize that the factory was about to blow sky high. With that knowledge, Rusty booked it.

Just before diving into the cockpit, he spared a glance to make sure Athrun would be okay. To Rusty's relief, his squad leader high-tailed it the other way and found his own machine.

Taking a deep breath, Rusty cannon-balled into his cockpit.

-0-

Kira couldn't hold in the wonder as he watched the mobile suit come to life.

Murrue reached out to various buttons, each bringing the mighty weapon closer to life.

Looking at the start up screen, he murmured out one word: "Gun…dam?"

Finally, the cameras came to life. On the screens, Kira watched as four other machines broke their cradles, each slowly rising like fashioned titans awakening to the call of battle. The fire shadowed the machines, giving them an almost majestic look as they fully stood.

"Here we go!" Murrue roared as the _Strike_ finally stood.

_Author's Note:_ Yes, I'm at it again! I have finally extended my insanity to the Gundam SEED archive! I'd insert an evil laugh, but it's not my style. Truthfully, I'm posting this to test the waters of the SEED section of the sight. If all works out, I'll continue writing here; if not, well, I'll turn my attention elsewhere.

Premise of this story is 'Ten Gundams, No OCs.' I'll tell you right now, it's not an easy premise to run off of. I originally intended to keep Destiny characters out of this part of the story, but it was too mind bending; I was pushed to my creative limits just to get this idea sketched out, and that's after getting a couple of second opinions. So, I at least brought in a couple of Destiny characters to fill in some slots. Besides, what stories have Shinn and Stella in the SEED storyline early and are well written?

Yes, I know, I'm working on several other stories. However, I can only move as fast as my beta reader will. As this story has no beta-reader (I'm debating whether I'll need one or not), the updates will be fairly quick. I already have chapters two through seven completed and a halfway completed chapter eight. However, I still have to go through and reread the chapters for cohesion, grammar, and to keep my vision in picture.

With this story, inspiration for the MSs will come from a variety of sources. Including –but not limited to- the Universal Century, After Colony, and Anno Domini timelines; other sources will primarily include Code Geass (I'm surprised as hell nobody has borrowed ideas from this particular one yet, as far as I know!), Zoids, Armored Core, Lost Planet, and some real world tech. Because Gundam 00 was so awesome, I'll give a tip of hat to my favorite one (and no, it's not Exia, though its badassery was so great that Chuck Norris couldn't pilot it).

I'm going to answer some questions I'm sure are going to pop up.

_Pairings:_ These will most likely be traditional. However, with Shinn I'm arguing between Lunamaria and Stella; I'm depending on the story's evolution to answer this burning question.

_Mayu Asuka_: Yes, I've kept Mayu alive for the moment. As for her computer programming skills, Kira is sixteen at the start of the story and is in college and is a master of the computer. Also, I've known a modern day fifteen-year-old hacker. Saying a thirteen-year-old Coordinator is capable of CP is not far-fetched. Her skills are still far below what Kira can do; he managed to create a fully operational, complete OS with perfected calibrations and energy dispersal in under two minutes while Mayu only managed to fix the controls so her brother could win. My plans for Mayu also extend long term.

_Shinn Asuka_: He may seem OOC, however, his personality is actually more along the lines of what it was before his family's death. He's still hot-tempered, impulsive, and overly-protective of everyone he cares about, but he doesn't have this dark outlook on life his older Destiny counterpart has. His hatred of war will develop over time as his character evolves. And with Mayu being alive (and compensating for his lack of computer literacy -hey, I hated those classes too), it's definitely going to present some changes.

_Stella Loussier_: Like Shinn, Stella has some changes. She maintains her whimsical and easily distracted nature; however, because she never underwent the Extended Human mental conditioning and memory erasure, her psychotic side isn't present. Instead, her psychosis is replaced with a much more robotic and quiet demeneor. Her thanatophobia is also still maintained. I have some serious plans for her.

_Shiho Hahnenfuss_: She was a natural choice for the ZAFT crew. As a pilot experienced in the use of the experimental suits, I figured she'd fit right in. She's also a popular character, so I knew people would like to see her.

_Rusty Mackenzie_: Well, this one was kind of interesting. I originally chose Rusty under the premise that nobody has tried to experiment with this character (until recently when I found a story with him in it, amazingly). Looking at his profile, he was described as the glue that held the ZAFT crew together before his death, so I gave him a class-clown-type personality with this thought in mind. I'm kind of glad I did as it gives this otherwise stale story some comedy backup.

_Lacus Piloting an MS_: Just watch… No guarantees, but watch...

_Deaths_: Can't tell you.

_Other Destiny characters_: Hein Westenfluss will appear and become an integral part of the story –I've always like Hein and thought he shouldn't have died, personally. As for Sting and Auel, I'm very iffy on their appearances; it's possible they could appear later in the story, though this isn't set in stone. With recent information given to me, Lunamaria or Rey are likely to appear; Meyrin might not since she's much younger than Luna. I'll also see if I can squeeze in Durandel and Talia, but no promises there.

And as personal tradition dictates: Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.


	2. Phase 2: Gundam

Miguel was confused. Like, really, _really_ confused. Information specifically stated _six_ mobile suits. So, why was he looking at a seventh mobile suit?

Oh, if he only how much _better_ it was going to get…

The three suits jumped out of the fire. Two –one with a longer skirt and a bulky one- landed deftly; the third, though, stumbled as it landed, barely maintaining enough balance to stay standing. Right then, the units separated, two running to stand next to the three GINNs while the other bumbled away.

It was then Miguel's comm. unit came to life, Athrun's voice coming through, shaky and erratic. _"The information was faulty! There were ten units!"_

"WHAT!" Miguel almost screamed.

Rusty naturally ruined the tension. _"SWEET! Look at all these guns!"_

-0-

Murrue didn't like the odds. It was the _Strike _against three GINNs, the _Aegis,_ and the _Maul_. And the OS was a piece of crap. The only thing that would've made it worse was if the team was led by Rau Le Creuset (but at this point, she wouldn't gamble against it).

Behind her, Kira was drinking in the sights of the Gundams.

The first one held a certain elegance that the other suits couldn't match. It had a longer skirt and a strange antenna on its helmet and was one solid grey color.

The other was taller, had heavier armor, and decked out with rapid-firing weapons grafted into its chest and shoulders, a shield with a built-in Gatling gun, missile launchers in its shins, and six hexagonal packs mounted on its shoulders. It was intimidating to look at. Like the other, it was grey, though an outer layer of armor maintained a gold color.

Murrue's thoughts, on the other hand, were preoccupied with knowledge of what kind of weapons the other suits packed.

"This isn't good," muttered Murrue.

-0-

"_What do we do about this last unit?"_ asked Miguel.

Athrun quickly weighed the options. And then he remembered Kira might be inside this particular machine. "Bring it back as unharmed as possible. But approach with caution; we're unsure of the pilot's capabilities."

He received a note of confirmation from all pilots present.

Shoving aside his personal feelings Athrun began working on the OS.

Before he could get too far into his programming, the factory exploded, catching everyone's attention. Suddenly, two other suits appeared out of the smoke, shocking everyone present.

"_What the hell?"_ Rusty yelled, summing up everyone's thoughts.

Number one's landing was fairly graceful, but then it wobbled and fell to a knee. This unit looked agilely built compared to the others, especially when the boosters on its legs were added into the equation; two long, solid swords were attached at the elbow, and looked to be able to swivel forward when in use and backwards (as they were now) outside of combat. Athrun could also see the rocket anchors mounted in the sword units.

Two, though, was the one that caught Athrun's attention; in a display of grace not possible with the suits' current systems, it launched out of the smoke with active thrusters and then landed on a rooftop away from everyone. Look-wise, it had four wings on its back, two long and another two half the size of the others; its crest was longer and melded with the helmet.

"_Who the hell's piloting those?"_ Miguel questioned.

Athrun made an order he wasn't fond of: "Change of plans: if you can't capture the machines, destroy them. Come on, Rusty; we need to get out of here."

-0-

Murrue withheld her sigh of relief as she watched the GINNs separate as the _Maul_ and _Aegis_ took off, each picking a target.

"Flip that switch! I need to know who's piloting those machines," Murrue ordered Kira as she dodged several bullets by jumping backwards.

Just as Kira went for it, the foot slipped out from underneath the Gundam, causing it to stumble and land into a building. Murrue growled as she countered with the Igelstellungs, missing the GINN by a wide margin but forcing it to back off.

"Damn it!" Murrue growled.

Kira, though, widened his eyes at the sight; he recognized the off calibrations.

The GINN raised its gun, but before it could pull the trigger, Murrue quickly pressed a white button. Across from the _Strike_, the GINN looked almost taken aback from the sight of the phase-shift armor activating, the Gundam quickly adopting a distinctive blue and white color scheme. It still fired, but every bullet bounced off the armor, red sparks raining from the points of impact.

Unsatisfied, the GINN dropped its rifle and pulled out its sword.

Kira distractedly looked at one of the cameras, finding his friends just outside the fighting zone. His eyes widened, realization dawning on their proximity to the battle.

"Grab that and push to here! Then press this!" Kira ordered from behind.

Murrue moved as ordered. The _Strike _ducked under the sword attack and rammed its shoulder into the attacker, sending the GINN into the dirt and away from civilians.

"How did you-" Murrue asked, only to be cut off by Kira.

"Let me have the cockpit!" Kira ordered. "All of the calibrations are off! I might be able to fix it!"

Murrue stared at him for a moment, carefully weighing the decision. She then nodded, prompting both to switch spots.

As Kira settled into the cockpit, he brought the OS up.

He was quick to display his dissatisfaction. "You've got to be…! You _seriously_ put that kind of OS into this suit? It works _against_ the machine!"

"It's the best we could do," Murrue tried to explain.

The GINN recovered, snapping the duo out of their conversation. Kira quickly pulled out the keyboard and typed away. The boy muttered incoherently as his fingers flew across the board, Murrue's eyes widening in disbelief at the speed he displayed. He rerouted power sources, created a stronger neural-link, calibrated every weapon system –he was fixing _every single last_ mistake the original programmers made.

Finally the GINN rushed them, this time aiming to stab at the cockpit. Kira grimaced in concentration as he pushed on the pedal, sidestepping the attack; quickly pulling back on a lever, the _Strike_ delivered a knee into the GINN sending the other machine stumbling backwards. Freed another couple seconds, Kira put the finishing touches to the OS.

_He's inhuman,_ Murrue mused, watching as the teen lifted the keyboard out of the way.

"Okay," he took a deep breath. "Now for weapons…"

The screen switched, and Kira's mouth dropped. The only weapons were the Armor Schneider.

"That's it!"

He stopped complaining as the GINN charged again. Kira reacted instantly, pulling out the knives. With the _Strike_'s newfound speed he slipped past the attack and stabbed into the GINNs neck, and then dug the other knife into its side.

Miguel escaped all the while making sure his MS was set to explode.

Murrue figured out what the enemy pilot did. "Get back!"

But Kira couldn't allow himself to move. His friends might get caught in the explosion if he did. Instead, he willed the _Strike_ to brace itself as the explosion erupted. Much to his relief, the phase-shift armor buffered the damage to such an extent that the paint wasn't scratched.

Murrue sighed. "Okay, now that that's over, we should contact the other pilots."

-0-

The GINN dive-bombed Stella, but the blond activated her superior thrusters and nimbly dodged the antagonist. Her opponent fired its rifle, but the _Estoc _shifted its wings and flew to the side, escaping the attack.

Realizing her armor wasn't on yet, Stella activated the phase-shift. Immediately, static whistled as the _Estoc_ became white with light grey detailing.

Despite the change in its opponent, the GINN remained undaunted. It pulled the trigger, but the bullets didn't even faze the Gundam. Stella countered by willing the _Estoc_ to raise both hands, the wrist mounted 'Gathus' sub-machine guns raining laser shots. The GINN nimbly dodged the attacks, but it wasn't enough as Stella followed and clipped its boosters.

The GINN fell like a brick with Stella closely following. The _Estoc_ landed a small distance away, and as it did, the longer wings folded over its shoulders and split down the middle, revealing the 'Ruda' impulse cannons.

A targeting display appeared over Stella's right eye. The reticule quivered as it locked onto the rising GINN, turning red and humming the tune of death. As her opponent fully stood, Stella pulled the trigger. A bright, blue/green beam shot from both cannons, flash-melting all parts it contacted and destroying every building in the way. No longer stable, the GINN exploded.

"Target destroyed," she murmured, the display moving out of her sight.

Now to wait for the others…

-0-

The name of this machine was _GAT-X207 Raid_, a machine built around the premise of close-quarters domination. Every weapon it was armed with was geared towards dissecting an opponent via metallic evisceration; the frame was lightweight compared to its brethren –it even had microthrusters built into its legs for added maneuverability.

Shinn thought it was the coolest thing since mankind put peanut butter and jelly together. However, there was one little _issue_…

He wasn't familiar with computer programming, but _even_ he could tell the OS was bad. "Holy shit, the controls suck!"

Then the klaxons screamed.

On instinct, Shinn pulled the controls, barely dodging the GINNs sword swipe. The sword cut into the side of a building, demolishing the apartments.

The GINN had targeted this machine, and therefore targeted Mayu by proxy. Nobody dared to hurt his little sister, let alone touch her enough force to bruise!_ Nobody_!

Shinn's full rage bubbled over with the force of Pompeii.

"You bastard!" Asuka roared as he willed the _Raid_ forward with a fist.

The GINN wasn't fast enough to escape. However, with the awful OS and off calibrations, the _Raid_ barely nicked the mobile suit's cheeks. Even angrier at the missed attack, Shinn tried to kick the machine, but instead tripped the Gundam.

"Why do these controls suck so bad! I can't even get a good hit!" Shinn raged.

Behind him, Mayu grimaced. Why was everything so _off_?

He pressed a button, shooting bullets from the Igellstellungs mounted in the suit's helmet in an effort to discourage the GINN from approaching. Given some room, Shinn willed the _Raid_ to stand in a shaky stance.

Mayu moved next to him, pulling down the keyboard and bringing up the screen displaying the OS.

"That's it!" she muttered excitedly.

"What're you doing? You're in my way!" Shinn shouted, trying to look past Mayu to watch as the GINN drew its rifle.

"Shut up and pilot!" his sister ordered, quieting her brother. "Keep it busy and don't ask questions!"

"O-Okay," Shinn shakily agreed.

Immediately, she set to work. Her fingers flew at speeds unnatural for her age, the information on the console shifting rapidly from one screen to the next.

The enemy pulled the trigger, but Shinn side-jumped out of the way. Asuka grimaced in concentration as he pulled the joystick to the side, activating the microthrusters in the legs and easily dodging the GINN's next attack with time to spare.

Shinn realized that the controls were rapidly becoming more accessible.

While her brother evaded, the younger Asuka was correcting the OS. _Everything is wrong!_ Mayu analyzed. _Whoever designed this was trying to overcompensate for a lot of systems. __Why would that be? Almost reminds me of the time Shinn tried reprogram his computer…_

Of the family, Mayu was the most computer-literate. If there were issues with a laptop, a household device, or an overly advanced cell-phone, Mayu was called to help. In school, she found computer programming classes to be her favorite… unlike her brother who liked to skip them.

All of that gave her the knowledge to construct a new OS, or at least fix the controls enough for her brother to win. She wouldn't be able to pilot the _Raid_- she was coordinated, but not that coordinated- but her brother… Shinn was taking to the machine like a chick spreading its wings for the first time.

Shinn grinned, having the time of his life. Instinctively, he grasped the machine like it was an extension of his arm. It felt so _natural_.

He dodged, he swerved. He countered, he caught attacks. Shinn was testing the machine, the device which was slowly becoming a part of him.

Finally, Mayu put the finishing touches on the controls. "It's done!"

Shinn grinned.

In a deft display of control, he ducked under the GINN's sword swing and then used the microthrusters to spin around the machine and appear at its back. The bewildered GINN was careening into a building, courtesy of a knee.

"This thing is… _awesome_!" Shinn euphorically shouted.

Their comm. unit suddenly came to life. "_People piloting the machines, can you hear me_? _Identify yourselves."_

"_Stella Loussier, pilot of the _GAT-X305 Estoc_,"_ droned a mechanical girl's voice

Shinn couldn't resist. "This is Shinn Asuka, pilot of the _Raid!"_ he almost shouted into the link.

"_Alright, listen…"_

Shinn stopped listening as his alarms roared.

His momentary lapse in concentration cost him; the GINN pulled itself out of the building and pulled out its sword. Shinn brought up the _Raid's_ arms in a meager attempt to block the attack. Suddenly, Mayu leapt past him and pressed a white button. The GINN's attack was deflected as a static hiss reverberated inside the cockpit.

Now, the _Raid_ was colored navy blue on its torso and knees and white over the limbs.

"What did you do?" Shinn asked, brought from his emotional high by the GINN –though he had to admit the Gundam looked awesome now.

"It's called phase-shift armor," Mayu explained. "It protects the Gundam from all basic weaponry."

"How do you know that?" Shinn raised a brow at his sister's knowledge.

Mayu smirked mischievously. "I brought up the catalogue."

"Really?" Shinn concentrated on the GINN as it rose back up. "Can it display weaponry?"

His sister typed on the keyboard. "Primary weaponry: two 'Beowulf' anti-armor solid swords."

"Cool," Shinn muttered, selecting the weaponry.

The single-edge sword swiveled forward, the tip glinting in the light of the colony. The GINN panicked and activated its thrusters to get away, but the _Raid_ leapt at like a poised leopard. The Beowulf stabbed through the GINNs shoulders and into the thrusters, causing both parties to crash into the ground.

Shinn was quick to recover, ordering the _Raid_ to switch the other sword forward and readying to end his downed opponent. But the GINN's pilot escaped, the machine exploding not long after; smoke erupted, but the _Raid_ stood strong.

"Sweeeeet," Shinn whistled.

* * *

Murrue slowly came to. With a groan she sat up, rubbing her head. She noted the bandages on her arm and the smell of blood that no doubt belonged to her.

"I don't think you should be up yet," a female voice suggested.

Murrue turned her head to find a girl with auburn hair and sunny clothing looking over her.

"What happened?" Murrue asked, holding up a hand to the spot where her head throbbed.

The girl frowned. "You passed out from blood loss. My friend, Kira -who was piloting the suit you were in- brought you here so that we could stem the bleeding.

Murrue filed away the name of the boy she watched perform those amazing feats. "How long have I been out?"

"Not very long; maybe around fifteen minutes."

The lieutenant looked around, taking in her new surroundings. They were at a park. Nearby, the _Strike_ kneeled, deactivated and colorless, as two other teens (both male) excitedly explored the suit_._

"Where are the pilots? Or the other suits for that matter?" Murrue questioned.

The girl sighed. "Well-" She paused as she turned towards the _Strike_. "Get off that mobile suit! You guys are acting like you've never seen one before!"

At least Murrue wouldn't have to pull out her gun to get them off. The girl's edgy order was enough to get the boys off of the _Strike,_ though with notable amounts of complaining.

"Anyways…" Mirialli continued. "I'm afraid we don't know where the other mobile suits are. Kira tried to contact them earlier; both are supposed to be on their way over here."

"Okay, I'll-"

Murrue was interrupted by the sounds of an MS walking towards them. Everyone turned to watch as navy-blue and white suit walked around a corner, coming to a stop next to the _Strike_ and kneeling as the PS armor deactivated.

The hatch opened, two even younger teens appearing out of the cockpit. One was a boy and the other an even younger girl.

The boy's shouting could be heard throughout the park. "See! I told you they'd be here! Your directions suck almost as much as that OS did!"

"Shut up!" the girl shot back.

The two clambered down the suit and walked towards everyone else. If Murrue had to guess, the boy was around fourteen while the girl couldn't be older than thirteen.

"What the hell is going on?" ruby-eye rudely asked.

The girl smacked him on the back of his head. "Use your manners!"

"They're getting younger everyday!" whispered Murrue to herself in shock.

"You guys piloted that?" asked Sai, as he came towards them.

Another teen –this one with wavy brown hair- followed glasses' wake.

"What of it?" Shinn asked.

His little sister (Murrue was guessing on this) spoke up. "He did pilot it. However, I was the one that fixed the OS for my brother. It took me a while, but I managed it." Oh, good; she was right about the girl being-

_Holy shit! She reprogrammed the OS!_ Murrue's mouth dropped, the information hitting with the force of a freight train.

"That's incredible!" Tolle shouted. "How long did it take you to fix the OS?"

"About five minutes, but it's not fully done yet. I just fixed the controls."

Murrue bit her lip, remembering how Kira fixed _and_ completed the OS for the _Strike_ in less than two –it was something to behold. But this girl was even younger than Yamato! Could she be one of _them_?

"It's still impressive," interrupted a voice Murrue recognized; Kira rejoined the group, his mechanical bird landing his shoulder. "Did you take some computer programming classes?"

"Yeah, a few. I'm supposedly the best in my class, but I keep thinking the teacher is over exaggerating."

All conversations ceased as the third and last Gundam joined them. Debris scattered as its thrusters kept it suspended in the air. Finally, it touched down, shaking the ground. Unlike the others, it remained standing.

The cockpit opened as the phase-shift came down, revealing a girl as young as Shinn, wearing a blue dress, a bag slung over her shoulder, and with a head of flaxen hair. She gripped the zip-line, gracefully contacting the ground. She skipped over to the group and cocked her head at the strange stares she was getting.

Shinn was the first to find his voice. "It's you!" he shouted while pointing.

She frowned at the sight of the young teen. Wasn't he the one that was looking at her strangely several hours ago? Hmm… they didn't teach how to deal with situations like these at the base…

Kira, though, was shocked for another reason: this girl was almost a miniature replica of that tomboy! They looked almost exactly alike! Except for their eyes… That weird girl's were amber while Stella's were magenta –not fully like his but close enough, which was kind of freaky speaking that purple eyes were very rare even among Coordinators.

"Hello," Stella finally said, though sounded slightly strained –she was unsure of what to say, with this being so new and all.

"How did you pilot the _Estoc_?" Murrue finally asked, shock pervading her voice.

"Rewrote the OS," Stella answered in a clipped tone.

It was enough for the oldest one present to rub her face. _You know, after hearing everything else so far, I can fully believe that. I'm seriously going to need a stiff drink later…_

Now that everyone was here, Murrue figured now would be a good time to get to business. She pulled out her gun and fired a round into the air, getting everyone's attention and making them back away. The lieutenant motioned for everyone to get into a group; Stella remained unmoving –she had an idea of where this was going, speaking that the G-weapon project _was_ top secret; Murrue was simply doing what was protocol.

"What're you doing!" Tolle shouted in outrage.

"All of you have been introduced to delicate military secrets," Murrue explained, lowering her gun. "It's something civilians shouldn't handle carelessly."

Tolle decided at that moment to be a smartass, with a matching smirk. "You do realize that three civilians just rewrote the entire operating system of those machines, right?"

The gunshot fired into the air and the glare he received was enough to shut him up.

"You friggin' bitch! We just got done handing GINNs' their asses! And now you're taking us hostage?" Shinn shot at her, wanting to get at the woman for pointing a gun at his sister, who was behind him and peaking from his shoulder.

Murrue continued. "Tell me your names."

"Mirialli How."

"Sai Argyle."

"Kuzzey Buskirk."

"Tolle Koenig."

"Shinn Asuka," grumbled out said teen.

"Mayu Asuka."

Kira glared at her for several seconds before finally relinquishing his name. "Kira Yamato."

Murrue turned to the last one, finding the girl distracted by her surroundings. Realizing she was being stared at, Stella returned her attention to Murrue, but remained silent, as if she didn't hear the earlier conversation.

"What _is_ your _name_?" Murrue asked with some command.

The young girl quickly snapped to attention. "Stella Loussier."

"Lieutenant Murrue Ramius. I'm an officer of the Earth Alliance Forces," said Murrue. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but I cannot allow any of you to leave."

"What?/The hell?" was the collective response, excluding Stella who was once again distracted by the park –she'd couldn't remember seeing so much green before!

Mayu restrained Shinn from making a rash move.

"What're you doing?" Tolle "We're citizens of -OW!" He harshly received a heel to his toes, courtesy of Mirialli.

"She has a gun!" Mir warned with a hiss.

"Now then," Murrue lowered her gun. "How much power is left in the _Raid and Estoc?_"

Mayu answered for Shinn since he was still temperamental, and therefore lacking tact. "The _Raid_ is pretty low, actually."

Stella cocked her head as she answered –she managed to tune back into the conversation right around the time Murrue asked another question. "The _Estoc's_ battery is halfway depleted."

"'Kay," Murrue said, nodding. "You two," she pointed at Sai and Tolle. "If we want to stand a chance of getting out of here in one piece, I'll need both of you to find truck number four. It should contain equipment for the _Strike_. As for Kira, Shinn, and Stella, you three will continue to pilot the suits. I also need someone to call for help."

"Fine," Kira agreed with a grumble.

Shinn's bad mood was reversed in .6 seconds; he pumped a fist excitedly –he loved _his_ MS, after all. Stella simply nodded in assent and moved to her suit to work the radio.

-0-

Stella climbed into her cockpit and started it up. From the cameras, she could see a truck driven by the two boys headed their way. That was good. With two active mobile suits, everyone's chances of surviving jumped a mere twenty-two percent to a much more satisfactory thirty-eight.

She flipped on the comm. link. "This is Stella Loussier of the Earth Alliance. Allies, please respond." All she got was static. "This is Stella Loussier of the Earth Alliance. Allies, please respond." Still nothing.

Loussier frowned. The interference was greater than she imagined. It was possible there was an N-jammer nearby, most likely for the safety of the colony. If that was the case, she wasn't going get anywhere.

She crawled out of the cockpit. "There's too much interference!" she shouted to Murrue.

"Alright then, go ahead and come down."

Stella didn't. While the enemy was nearby, she was uncomfortable leaving her weapon. Instead, she sat at the edge of the cockpit, her legs swinging lazily.

Finally, the truck containing equipment for the _Strike_ arrived.

"Okay, Kira, get into the _Strike_, move it over there, and kneel next to the truck," Murrue indicated to the spot near trailer. "Once there, we'll mount the _Launcher Striker_. The battery and the equipment are integrated, so once it's mounted the _Strike_ should have full power."

Kira did as told. Within minutes, the phase-shift activated and the _Strike_ moved into position.

"Now, Sai," Murrue continued. "I need you to press a button on the dashboard. It should open the trailer and begin the mounting process."

Shinn, who was leaning against the pavilion's leg, cocked his head at the sight. "The _Strike_ seems like the weakest unit to me. I mean, mine is this awesome close-range machine, but what can this hunk of junk-"

His question was answered as he watched the big gun appear out of the trailer.

"Whoa…" Shinn managed to get out.

Murrue smirked at his gob-smacked appearance. "The _Strike_, by itself, is the weakest machine, yes. However, when equipped properly it can fulfill almost any role that the other G-weapons can do."

Mayu frowned. "G-weapons? That's not really good name. Personally, I like 'Gundam'."

"Gun…dam?" Murrue carefully rolled the name on her tongue. "Where'd you come up with that?"

Shinn answered for his sister. "You know, the name that appears on the start-up-"

An explosion echoed through the air. Everyone looked up and watched as a lone CGUE flew out of a fireball, trailed closely by an orange Mobius unit.

Stella was already in her unit, strapped in, and activating all systems.

-0-

The mission was botched from the _start_! Rau Le Creuset almost couldn't believe his eyes. There were _three_ more units than the information stated!

He then noticed the _Strike_ being loaded with an armament.

"We can't have that," he muttered.

He immediately dove past the Mobius unit towards the _Strike_. However, his eyes widened behind his mask as one of the suits rapidly came to life, leaping off the ground and rapidly shifting colors.

-0-

The _Estoc_ was built with a '300' frame, the same kind used as the _Aegis_, making both MSs sister-units. As such, it had a capability to get everyone out this predicament unscathed: the ability to transform.

As soon as she was aerial, Stella pressed a red button. Within seconds the_ Estoc_ smoothly transformed into a sleek plane with forward-swept wings and frontal canards. Displaying the catalogue, she found the Ruda cannons switched with 'Falchion' anti-armor missiles.

With incredible speed, the _Estoc_ shot past the CGUE, and rapidly transformed back into MS form. Stella quickly unleashed a rain of bullets from the Gathus, causing the CGUE to divert course for the sake of self-preservation. Instead, it turned its attention onto her, its rifle ablaze. The _Estoc_ took the bullets head-on knowing that the phase-shift could handle them, and charged forward, both wrist-mounted guns ablaze.

-0-

Rau dodged another rain of _Gathus_ shots and whirled past the _Estoc_. The _Mobius Zero_ came from behind, readying its linear cannon, but Rau slowed and spun, grasping his unit's sword. The_ Zero_ knew what was coming, but even evading it the unit still lost the barrel of its weapon.

"Sorry, Mu La Flaga, we'll have finish this-" He was interrupted as the _Estoc_ dove past him in a transformed state, but it was a distraction as a missile slammed into the back of his unit, destroying one of the CGUE's thrusters. "You're better than you look!"

With a growl, Rau forced his remaining boosters to push himself backwards, dodging another missile. Using this to his advantage, he forced his unit to fall backwards, missing the kick the _Estoc_ had coming towards him. Smirking in triumph, he dived towards the_ Strike_ as it finished docking, readying his sword to deal a death blow.

"I won't let you!" he roared.

However, the Gundam shot past him and rapidly transformed into MS form while spinning to meet him, the _Ruda _cannons arming themselves.

In a moment of genius, Rau charged forward anyways and threw his sword into one of the charging cannons just as it fired. Although one cannon successfully fired and flash-melted the CGUE's arm, the other exploded, saving Rau from suffering the same fate as his unit's arm.

However, the attack had the unintentional side-effect of punching a hole into Heliopolis's delicate superstructure.

Like any good gambler, Rau knew to quit while ahead. Thus he retreated through the hole before anyone could _finally_ kill him.

"This is turning out to be one of t_hose_ days," he museed to himself with a sigh.

-0-

The _Estoc_ didn't give chase.

Stella didn't like death. She feared it. When the sword pierced the Ruda cannon barrel and caused it to explode, she thought death was going to take claim.

It didn't happen, but the close encounter with the Grim Reaper was enough for Stella to stop pursuing Rau.

She white-knuckled her controls as sweat beaded her brow. Her breathing was laborious.

"_Hey, you okay in there_?" came a voice through the communication link. Male. Older than twenty, possibly around thirty.

She didn't answer.

"_Hey, talk to me!"_ he was sounding a bit more panicked.

"I…" she couldn't bring forth any words.

"_Oh, good,"_ the voice sighed in relief. "_You're okay. Sound shaken up, though. I'd be too if I were you._"

Her alarms came to life as her phase-shift came down. Still, she didn't move an inch from where the _Estoc_ hovered in the air.

At that moment, another explosion echoed through the colony. Above, a white ship gracefully descended on the war torn colony like a battle-ready angel. Seeing no action the legged ship simply floated across the artificial sky, armed and ready.

-0-

Murrue sighed in relief at the sight of the Archangel. At least one thing turned out okay today…

_Better the Ruda than the Agni, I suppose,_ Ramius groaned as she ran a palm across her face. _The hole's fairly small, barely able to fit that CGUE that flew through it._

However, had that been the Agni, the damage would've been far greater. So, it was probably a good thing that the _Strike _being armed was no longer necessary.

"I can't believe she punched a hole into the wall," Shinn muttered in disbelief, eyeing the escaping air as it was sucked into the abyss of space.

"I didn't know it was so fragile," Sai breathed in shock.

"Alright," Murrue said, catching everyone's attention. "Now that the lifeboats are fully locked… all of you will have to join us on the Archangel."

_Author's Note:_ Another chapter, another day. The brief display of battle was fun to write, and longer than the original draft depicted. I had the Estoc punch the hole rather than the Strike, as you could see; no matter the AU, almost all of them have the Strike punching the hole; I just thought a change-up would be nice.

And for you Mu fans out there, I've got plans. Really awesome plans we've had yet to see on this site!

For the fate of the tenth unit, wait until next chapter. No, it's not destroyed.

I would also like everyone to note that there is a very specific naming pattern to the Gundams in SEED universe, even in the first 5 suits. Random names do not work, which is what I find every time I read a SEED fanfic; I'm surprised so few see this. The model number is also specific, and denotes frame type; again, not everybody sees this.

It's become a tradition to post MS information for viewers. I'll do the same. However, the information will only appear when the particular suit enters a combat situation. I'm also going to make it look as 'file-ish' as possible. Also, I might hint at stuff in the story…

So, without further ado, here's the…

_**Archangel Mobile Weapon Database:**_

**GAT-X105 Strike**

**Model Number**: GAT-X105  
**Code Name**: Strike  
**Manufacturer**: Morgenroete, Inc.  
**Operator**: Earth Alliance  
**Current Pilot:** Kira Yamato [Coordinator, Civilian]

**Head Height**: 17.72 meters  
**Approx. Standard Weight**: 64.8 MT  
**Accommodations**: Pilot only, standard torso cockpit  
**Powerplant**: Ultracompact Energy Battery  
**Armor**: Phase-Shift Armor  
**Role**: Multi-role

**Standard Armament**: X2 'Igellstellung' 75mm Multi-Barrel CIWS, X2 'Armor Schneider' Combat Knife

**Special Equipment and Features**: Hard points for mounting 'Striker' packs.

**AQM/E-X01 'Aile' Striker** –A balanced unit designed for general purpose use. It carries basic armaments for every situation. Abilities vaguely mirror the GAT-X102 Dual.  
_Armaments_: X2 Beam saber, 57mm High-Energy Beam Rifle, Shield

**AQM/E-X02 'Sword' Striker** –This unit endows the Strike with close-quarters domination capabilities. In exchange, its range is short; some of the weapons are specifically to bring enemies close in for this very reason. Abilities vaguely mirror the GAT-X207 Raid and the GATX-208 Blitz combat capabilities.  
_Armaments_: 'Schwert Gewehr' 15.78 meter Anti-Ship Sword, 'Panser Eisen' Rocket Anchor, 'Midas Messer' Beam Boomerang

**AQM/E-X03 'Launcher' Striker** –The Launcher Striker gives the Strike heavy, long-range firepower. In exchange, it has no protection against enemies that utilize close-range combat. Abilities vaguely mirror the GAT-X103 Buster and the GAT-X106 Reach combat capabilities.  
_Armaments_: 'Agni' 320mm Hyper Impulse Beam Cannon, 120mm Anti-Ship Vulcan Gun, X2 350mm Gun Launcher

**AQM/E-X04 'Gunbarrel' Striker** –A special unit that utilizes the gun-barrels of the famed Mobius Zero. The skill required is incredible and only few users are able to maximize this Striker unit's abilities. This unit was specifically created for use by Mu La Flaga.  
_Armaments:_ X4 Gunbarrel pod, 57mm High-Energy Beam Rifle

**AQM/E-X05 'Supplice' Striker**_ –_ This Striker was created as a suppression unit, capable of taking on multiple targets. Its powerful weapons are capable of tearing apart enemies at multiple ranges. However, this unit lacks close-range combat capabilities. Abilities vaguely mirror the GAT-X104 Maul combat capabilities.  
_Armaments_: 'Ogoto' 240mm Contact-Grenade Cannon, 64mm Heavy Assault Rifle, 53mm Mid-Range Assault Rifle, X2 220mm 6 Barrel Missile Launcher

**AQM/E-X00Z 'Glint' Striker** –Of the five original Striker units, only the Glint unit is truly experimental. This is an attempt to weaponize Phase-Shift technologies, and as a means to counter Phase-Shift armor. It was incomplete until the mechanics aboard the Archangel finished it as a means to counter the stolen Gundams. Primarily, this unit is close-ranged, sporting speed rivaling the Aile unit. It has one lone powerful beam weapon on par with even the likes of the Scylla and the Agni. The price for the Glint's incredible abilities is a shortened battery life that is only half as long as the other units. With experimenting, Kira was able to further the Glint's abilities to an unknown length  
_Armaments_: X2 'Exora' Phase-Shift Armor Swords, 'Saluax' 220mm Phase-Shift Cannon

**P220QX Integrated Weapons Striker Pack –**_No Data  
_**P240QX 'Lightning' Striker –**_No Data  
_**P260QX 'Liquid' Striker-**_No Data  
_**P280QX 'Solidus' Striker –**_No Data_

**GAT-X207 Raid**

**Model Number**: GAT-X207  
**Code Name:** Raid  
**Manufacturer**: Morgenroete, Inc.**  
Operator**: Earth Alliance  
**Current Pilot**: Shinn Asuka [Coordinator, Civilian]

**Head Height**: 17.09 Meters  
**Approx. Standard Weight**: 69.9 MT**  
Accommodations**: Pilot only, standard torso cockpit  
**Powerplant**: Ultracompact Energy Battery  
**Armor:** Phase-Shift Armor  
**Role**: Close-Quarters Domination

**Standard Armament**: X2 'Beowulf' Anti-Armor Solid Sword, X2 'Panser Eisen' Rocket Anchor, X2 'Igellstellung' 75mm Multi-Barrel CIWS, 34mm Beam Pistol

**Special Equipment and Features**: High-Maneuver Microthrusters

**Notes**: One of the suits that managed to escape ZAFT's control. The Raid uses a specialized lightweight '200' series frame for added speed in close range combat, making it the most agile of all the original Gundams. It has almost no long-range capabilities, except from its beam pistol, but even that is used as a last resort; to make up for this, the Panser Eisen are used to drag opponents in.

The Panser Eisen are mounted in the Beowulf beam swords located on the elbows and can only be fired when the swords are not in use; in combat, the swords swivel forward from the elbow and are solid. The beam pistol is located on the Raid's back.

Unit is piloted by civilian Shinn Asuka. The suit's operational systems are maintained by civilian Mayu Asuka.

**GAT-X305 Estoc**

**Model Number**: GAT-X305  
**Code Name**: Estoc  
**Manufacturer**: Morgenroete, Inc.  
**Operator**: Earth Alliance  
**Current Pilot**: Stella Loussier [Biological CPU, EA Identification Number: EX-Y421321]

**Head Height**: 18.63 meters  
**Approx. Standard Weight**: 80.21 MT  
**Accommodations**: Pilot only, standard torso cockpit  
**Powerplant**: Ultracompact Energy Battery  
**Armor**: Phase-Shift Armor  
**Role**: Atmospheric Combat

**Standard** **Armament**: X2 'Gathus' 52mm Energy Submachine Gun, X2 'Ruda' 120mm Impulse Cannon, X2 'Igellstellung' 75mm Multi-Barrel CIWS, X16 'Falchion' Anti-Armor Missiles

**Special Equipment and Features**: Transformable Frame

**Notes**: Although, most of the MSs were designed for zero-gravity combat, the Estoc was specifically developed for atmospheric missions. It is the sister unit of the Aegis, and therefore utilizes the same frame. Unlike the Aegis, which primarily utilizes close-ranged combat with its wrist-mounted, heel-mounted beams sabers, the Estoc primarily utilizes long range capabilities. Unfortunately, the unit was activated before a beam saber could be installed. Of the units, it is the fastest, but only in its transformed state.

The Ruda cannons can only be utilized in MS form and are installed in the wings. The Gathus are mounted in the wrists and can be utilized in both modes. The Falchion missiles can only be used in Jet mode.

Unit is piloted by Biological CPU Stella Loussier, Earth Alliance identification number EX-Y421321.

_**Database requires further updates. Signing off.**_

I'll give you personal author notes on Gundams and other MSs here.

On the Strike, I simply doubled the number of Striker units. Unfortunately, I won't be utilizing the Gunbarrel for a number of reasons; Kira doesn't have the capabilities, it was never used in the show, and it just doesn't strike my fancy. However, to make up for this, I created the Supplice and Glint units, both awesome enough to make me giddy just thinking about them. By the time the Archangel defects, the first Striker units will fall out of use in favor of their much more awesome Orb cousins. If you end up thinking the Supplice and the Glint are cool, just wait for the Solidus and Liquid units. Kudos to anybody who can find the cookies.

The Raid was interesting to develop. I wanted to stray from the Exia design that's so popular, which wasn't an easy task, considering that the Exia has so much awesome that looking at it is like dividing by zero. What I got was a design that actually lends its weapon structure from Astray Blue Frame, though the weapon armament is downsized for the sake of matching its first generation brethren. Its coloration is a tip of hat towards Nu Gundam from the Universal Century.

The Estoc maintained its overall design from the start, with changes only coming from its name and plane design. The plane structure is actually similar to the modern SU-47 Berkut, with the forward swept wings; which would also make this somewhat of a prototype of the Murasame. The name… Well, I went through almost ten names and wasn't happy until I found Estoc, which is a type a saber, furthering the Aegis and Estoc's status as sister units. Originally, the name was going to be Hrunting, but I changed it for the sake of ease in pronunciation. And Estoc is so much cooler to look at.


	3. Phase 3: Collapse

Ensign Natarle Badgiruel frowned at the sight before her. She specifically remembered the pilots of the G-weapons dying in an explosion. So, that posed the question of _who _was piloting the suits. Then there were the students… _Why_ exactly were there civilians _here_?

The entire crew of the Archangel was crowded in the linear catapult around the three retained mobile suits. Each member chatted vigorously, wondering at the sight of the machines that were the hopes of OMNI.

One of the Gundams lowered its hands to the ground, allowing the occupants to walk off. Among them, Natarle recognized Lieutenant Murrue Ramius.

Badgiruel raised a brow, but saluted nonetheless at the officer's approaching presence.

Lieutenant Ramius saluted as well. "Ensign Badgiruel, you have no idea how relieved I am to see the _Archangel_. I'm sure our chances of escaping here would be much slimmer if it weren't for your presence."

Natarle lowered her hand. "Thank you very much. However, I'm curious: Who's piloting those machines."

Murrue readied to answer, but stopped as all hatches –except for the _Estoc's_- opened. Everyone's mouths dropped as Kira Yamato appeared, coming down the zip-line, his ever-present mechanical bird on his shoulder. Shinn's appearance only served to increase the shock by a factor of three.

"Y-You're kidding me!" Murdoch was the first to recover, though his mouth still hung open. "They're a bunch of kids! And none of them even look old enough to shave!"

"Who's in the last suit?" Natarle asked, eyeing the damaged _Estoc_.

Murrue frowned. "Her name is Stella Loussier; she's about as young as Shinn over there. Though, I'm wondering why she hasn't exited her cockpit. It's actually starting to worry me."

Natarle was none too pleased to hear that _teens_ were piloting these machines. Ooh, she was going to give Lieutenant Ramius an earful…

She was about to do just that until a new voice entered the fray. "I've seen a lot of things, but this is pretty new."

Everyone turned towards the source of the voice to find a sandy-blond man with a purple and black pilot's suit walking over to the group.

"By the way, name's Lieutenant Mu La Flaga of the Seventh Orbital Fleet." To accentuate his claim, he snapped a quick salute.

Murrue and Natarle were quick to follow his example, quickly saluting their senior.

"Lieutenant Murrue Ramius of Sector Two, Fifth Special Division."

"Ensign Natarle Badgiruel; same division."

Mu nodded, acknowledging them. "I'd like permission to come aboard. Who's in charge of this outfit?"

Everyone turned towards Badgiruel, even the teens, as they waited for her answer. They all noticed the not-so-subtle hesitation she displayed, though.

"I'm afraid," she explained, her frown deepening, "that the captain and all of the officers of this ship died in an explosion aimed to destroy this ship at the very beginning of the attacks."

"What? No, that…" Murrue breathed in disbelief.

"Oh, that's not good," Mu sighed.

Badgiruel continued. "There are only a few dozen of us left, mostly non-commissioned officers and workers and mechanics from Morgenroete. I believe, though, that it's Lieutenant Ramius now in command since she knows the most about the ship, and has seniority."

"Wait, what!" Murrue asked, confused –she didn't sign up for this!

"Technically, I have seniority," Mu announced, giving hope to Murrue that she might be able to slip out of being the captain of the _Archangel;_ but then Mu finished his sentence, immediately dashing her hope, "but I don't know the first thing about this ship. So, yep, she's the captain."

Murrue had to stifle a groan. Today was just getting worse by the minute.

"What a crappy day," muttered Mu. "Anyways, permission to come aboard?"

"Oh, uh… permission granted… I, uh… guess," Murrue said with a rather large amount of uncertainty in her voice –she was very new to this.

This earned a couple of snickers from the workers, a rolling pair of eyes from Natarle, and a snort of amusement from Mu. The teens just watched the events with analyzing eyes.

"Oh, come on!" Mu encouraged. "You're the captain now! At least show us some spirit!"

Murrue sighed tiredly, holding a hand to her face. "Please don't make my day more aggravating than it already is."

Mu amusedly shook his head and then turned his attention to the mobile suits. He sized up each one, his eyes traveling over their impressive armaments. His eyes lingered on the still unopened _Estoc_, remembering the fight with Rau Le Creuset; it had been nothing short of impressive, and he couldn't help but wonder who was behind the wheel of that particular one.

"And who are they?" Mu asked, gesturing towards the teens.

Murrue answered. "That boy over there is Kira Yamato; he piloted the _Strike_. Shinn Asuka, over there, piloted the _Raid_ with the aid of his sister, Mayu. The last one, however, has locked herself in her cockpit. After we escaped the factory we were attacked by three GINNs; they were defeated by each of them."

The crowd murmured to themselves in astonishment. Kira blushed under the praise his sensitive ears picked up; Shinn soaked it up, as did Mayu.

"What happened to the original pilots?" Murrue then asked.

Natarle frowned sadly. "They… were with the captain."

"Oh… I-"

They were interrupted as the cockpit to the _Estoc_ opened. The crew felt their shock renewed as Stella walked into everyone's view. She grabbed hold of the zip line and gently touched ground.

It wasn't until she got closer that everyone noticed her complexion; she looked pale and was sweating. Even closer yet, they noticed a light tremor in her hands, her eyes also dilated from the adrenaline still in her system.

"Hey, you okay there, sweetheart?" Mu worriedly asked as he trotted over to her.

Mu was caught off guard when the young girl hugged him. He could only smile sadly as he returned the gesture, comfortingly patting her on the back.

"I guess you're pretty shaken after that," Mu comforted. "I would be too. It was a close call."

Murrue sadly frowned. "I'm once again reminded of how young they are."

"Indeed," Natarle agreed.

Calmed down enough to interact, Stella let go. After a calming breath she rejoined the other teens, though she hid behind the group as she continued to recover herself.

"That's quite the accomplishment you guys have there," Mu said as he came to the group, looking at Kira, Shinn, Mayu, and Stella in particular. "I remember the original pilots trying to use these suits; it wasn't pretty. They had trouble trying to keep these things standing. Which raises the question: Are you guys Coordinators?"

Everyone was sent on edge. The soldiers tensed as others gasped. Murrue looked on in interest, curious herself; Natarle's eyes widened.

Kira reluctantly answered. "…Yeah."

The soldiers raised their guns as everyone else reeled.

Tolle jumped in front of Kira while Shinn shielded his little sister. The others looked taken aback by the actions of the soldiers. Only Stella remained calm.

"Lower your guns," Murrue ordered. The soldiers hesitantly listened, but remained edgy.

"Liuetenant…" Natarle began, looking towards Murrue for a possible explanation.

Already having an idea of the ensign's line of thinking, Murrue cut the ensign off. "This _is _Heliopolis. If I remembered correctly, it's a neutral nation that hosts _both _Coordinators and Naturals; it'd only make sense that he's here, or even the others for that matter. Am I right, Kira?"

Suddenly realizing that everybody's attention was on him again, Kira answered: "No, you're right, especially since I'm a first generation Coordinator."

"Which means your parents are Naturals," Mu clarified. "I see. Sorry about that. If I'd known I would've made such a fuss, I might've waited to ask. Well, damage done; might as well continue… How about you?" He pointed towards Shinn.

The boy noticeably relaxed as his sister appeared from behind his back. "Yeah, I'm one too. So is my sister. I piloted while she rewrote the OS."

"It's still incomplete," Mayu corrected."We were here on vacation."

"Talk about ending a vacation with a bang… And what about you, sweetheart?" Mu finally turned towards the last pilot.

Stella fidgeted under everyone's gaze. She couldn't exactly tell them what she really was…

"I can understand if you're uncomfortable," Mu said, pointedly glaring at the tense soldiers.

"I'd assume she's a Coordinator," Murrue joined, walking next to the seasoned pilot. "She rewrote the OS like the others. So far, only Coordinators-"

"I'm not Coordinator," quietly interjected Stella, immediately silencing both lieutenants.

Everyone within hearing distance of the whisper turned shocked eyes onto Stella, making the poor girl shrink into herself.

"No. Way." If it wasn't for his glasses, Sai's eyes might've popped out they were so wide.

Tolle couldn't help but agree with Sai's assessment. "That's crazy!"

"I'm sorry, I missed what she said," Natarle interrupted, bringing everyone back to reality.

"S-She… says she's not a Coordinator," Murrue spoke, still eyeing the girl with shock –Natarle (as did the rest of the crew) shared in the astonishment.

"Good God, these kids are going to give me heart attack if they surprise me anymore," Murdoch said. "At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if all three said they were science experiments, or something."

"I think I've hit that point," Mu sighed.

Kira stepped towards Stella, garnering the Extended's attention. "Then that makes you Natural, right?"

Stella bobbed her head.

"That doesn't make sense," Natarle finally spoke up. "The original pilots were gifted Naturals; even they couldn't bring out the full potential of these machines. How could she have rewritten the OS and then proceed to pilot the_ Estoc?_"

While everyone argued over her status, Stella retreated to the back of the group. The attention was getting at her, and she was still dazed from her encounter with Rau Le Creuset. Mu, though, noticed the quiet escape.

"Drop it for the moment," Mu ordered, silencing anyone talking about the girl. "She's still out of it from her battle. Right now, we have more important matters to discuss."

Despite the order, Kira still stared at Stella, wondering who –or _what_- she was. But he dropped it for the moment; they still needed to get out of Heliopolis in once piece.

Natarle sighed. "Okay, where do we go from here?"

La Flaga was able to provide answer. "Well, let's see… I was shot down by Le Creuset, and there's no doubt in my mind that his team is outside waiting for us. He's pretty persistent; so, he'll most likely be there as well. After the defeat he experienced, he might even be a little sour and decide to take his frustrations out on us."

"You mean that was _the_ Rau Le Creuset?" Murrue asked in disbelief –Wait. Earlier, didn't she ask how it could get worse? Well… _D__amn!_

Mu nodded. "I'd say that our victory amounts to nothing but luck."

-0-

Rau frowned as Miguel showed him the battle data of the _Strike_, _Raid_, and _Estoc_. No wonder why his suit was so damaged! These pilots were something else entirely!

Inside his mind, Rau began to think of possible reasons for the sudden increase in these suits' battle capacity. First off, there was no way Naturals were behind the steering wheel –the movements were much too… _coordinated_, for a lack of a better term. The best possibility in his mind: Coordinators somehow got hold of the suits. But why would a person of their race fight his/her own kind?

"Thank you, Miguel," Rau said as he dropped the image. "If I hadn't seen this with my own eyes, I might've considered myself the laughing stock of ZAFT. Pray tell, what do you make of this?"

The masked man turned his attention to the console displaying four of the six redcoats while Athrun and Rusty floated not too far away.

Shiho was quick to offer her analysis. "I don't know. The pilot of the _Strike_ must've created the OS right on the fly if he turned the battle around _that_ much. But, I don't see how that's possible; even most Coordinators wouldn't be of the proper caliber to pull something like that off."

Athrun frowned. He knew of one Coordinator with that kind of caliber. But… could it really have been _him_ that took up the _Strike_?

"What of the others?" prompted Creuset.

"With the _Raid_," Shiho continued, "you can clearly see the OS improving as the fight progresses. As for the _Estoc_, it's possible that someone got a hold of it before the battle even started; with the mobile suits being held in Morgenroete, it would make sense a Coordinator could get a hold of it."

"Then who the hell are we dealing with?" Yzak questioned next to Shiho, his eyebrows knit in confusion.

Shiho shrugged with a frown. "Either really, _really_ unnatural Naturals, or Coordinators."

"That doesn't make sense," Dearka commented, crossing his arms. "Why would a Coordinator fight alongside the Earth forces?"

Athrun spoke, surprising everyone. "What if the pilot was being manipulated somehow? It would make sense. Maybe they're holding someone hostage? Offering money? Who knows? I'm willing to bet the pilot is being controlled."

From across the table, Rau smirked as he caught Athrun's slip in grammar. Thanks to Zala, several things came to light. Ever since he came back, the teen seemed haunted by something. Now it made sense why. This would make for an interesting conversation in his office.

"Thank you very much for you input," Rau spoke up, garnering the group's attention, "I really needed that second opinion."

-0-

"I can only wonder how they can sleep at a time like this," Tolle said, pointedly looking at the Coordinators.

Shinn was lying on the top bunk sound asleep. His sister was sleeping next to him. Kira was on a lower bunk, also peacefully asleep.

Off to the side, Stella was sitting at the back of the room with her arms wrapped around her knees. She watched the back and forth between the students and wondered how people could be so noisy –everyone back at the base never talked so much.

Suddenly, her wristwatch alarm sounded off.

Everyone watched as Stella flew out of the room in a panic, her bag trailing behind her in the air.

"What-?" Mirialli murmured, going to chase after the Extended.

The brunette exited the door in time to watch Stella run into a nearby room and close the locked door behind her. Worried, Mir walked over to the door and began knocking on it.

"Stella? You okay?" Mirialli asked. There was no reply. "Stella!"

"Go away!" Stella ordered.

"Stella, what's wrong?" Haw tried to prod.

By now, Tolle and Sai were watching.

"GO AWAY!" Mir jumped from the scream.

Slowly, she backed away from the door before walking back to everyone, a frown marring her face.

"What was that about?" Kuzzey asked.

"I… don't know," Mir answered, her frown deepening.

-0-

_Pain…_ _So much… pain_…

Stella could already feel the withdrawal creeping into her body. Her muscles ached, each wave of pain a cry of gluttonous hunger; her senses began to blur, thirsty like a lost desert dweller. And to believe she was only off _it _for little over two minutes…

Sweat beaded her brow as her shaky hand desperately dug into her bag. Pulling out a metal box, she opened it to reveal a number of small cylinders filled with a yellow liquid, each stacked neatly in fourteen by twenty rows. Two were already missing.

She moved her watch in front of her face. Pressing a button on the right, the top flipped open, revealing an empty vial. Quickly but with care, Stella pulled out the vial and replaced it with a new one, closing the watch and pressing a button on the top left. It beeped, signifying its compliance with her body's demands.

Taking a shaky deep breath, Stella crawled onto one of the beds and curled into a ball.

The wait to recover from each episode always seemed like an eternity. Already, the pain beginning to wrack her body was ebbing away, but it wasn't happening fast enough for Stella. Every six hours, she'd need to switch out the vials, lest the pain return.

At least she wasn't one of the first generation Extended…

Exhausted, both from combat and the withdrawal, Stella succumbed to the sandman's wiles.

-0-

Murrue Ramius sighed as she came into the bridge of the Archangel, followed closely by Natarle Badiruel, and Mu La Flaga. The lieutenant took in the sight of the cockpit, all of the controls barely touched by hands; it was a wonder to behold such a state-of-the-art ship. She moved to the captain's chair (now _her_ chair) and sat down, reclining her head on her hand.

"How long do you think we have before they come back?" Murrue asked.

"Depends," replied Mu. "Do you want the lucky or unlucky estimate?"

Ramius sighed. "Just give me both."

Mu's lips twisted into a wiry smile. "Well, I'd guess from thirty minutes to as much as an hour and a half. It depends on the kind of force he intends to send at us. If I was a gambling man, I'd bet he's got something special planned_ just_ for us; so, with that in mind, I'd say we've got somewhere around an hour."

"That makes me feel better," sarcastically mumbled Murrue. "What about the Gun… the G-Weapons?" Personally, Gundam sounded better; however, she kept the original name for the sake of preventing confusion.

It was Natarle's turn to report. "The _Strike_ and the _Raid_ should be charged in fifteen minutes; on the other hand, the _Estoc_ won't be battle-ready for a while, as will the _Mobius Zero_. If you want, though, I can get the crews to speed things ups, especially since Murdoch took control of the repair crew."

"Also, we managed to recover the _Reach_." Murrue gave Natarle her full attention; Mu simply raised a brow. "It managed to survive the destruction of Morgenroete. However, it still received damage from the explosion that makes the suit inoperable for a time."

"Thank you," Murrue said –she was still uncomfortable as a captain, but she'd be able to adjust in time. "Once everything is set, we'll be leaving Heliopolis before the _Archangel_ or the colony gets damaged again."

"So," began Mu, "who's going to pilot those machines?"

This was a conundrum Murrue wasn't fully prepared to tackle. The only ones capable of manning those machines were Kira, Shinn, Stella, and possibly Mayu (although, involving the youngest teen present was pushing the envelope).

She turned towards the Mobius pilot. "Do you think you could pilot one of those machines?"

"Sorry, but no deal," Mu answered with a sigh. "I remember watching the pilots meant for those machines struggle just to aim a gun correctly. But it's not only that. Have you seen the OS for the _Strike_! Even some Coordinators can't grasp it! The _Raid_ may have a simpler OS, but I still can't pilot it. Same goes for the _Estoc_. And last I checked the _Reach_ is kind of useless right now."

It was Murrue's turn to let out a sigh. "Okay, but what if the _Reach_ was repaired?"

Mu took a moment to think about it. "Well, maybe if a Natural-friendly OS was developed I think I'd be able to. With Kira, Mayu, Shinn, and Stella's help there might be a good possibility of creating one. But I'd have to get some pointers from the kids since operation of the suit will be different from a Mobius. However, I think I could adapt."

"Good, the more pilots we have, the higher our chances of getting to the Eighth Fleet. Hopefully Murdoch will be able to repair it soon."

Silence fell over their group.

"First, the factory gets attacked and six G-Weapons get stolen," said Murrue, summing up their situation. "But we miraculously saved four of the suits, though we have no pilots. And to top everything off, we have an impending attack by Rau Le Creuset and his team."

"Makes for a fun day, huh?" Mu sarcastically said, adding his two cents.

Murrue leaned forward, resting her head on her hands. "Should I also mention how we picked up a smartass hitchhiker, or should I leave that out of the report?"

Mu grinned. "Better a smartass than a dumbass."

He liked this captain a lot. Although her sense of humor was a bit dry…

Natarle merely held a hand to her face. They were about to be attacked… and they were making sarcastic remarks? For a second, she wondered if she _really_ was going to die.

Returning to her serious mood, Murrue realized she had to make a call and fast. Without the Gundams, they were as good as dead. The _Archangel_ was powerful, but it still had its limits; with nothing to help fight, the ship would be picked apart in a matter of minutes.

"Either way," Mu quickly shifted to seriousness, "if we want to make it to the moon in one piece, we _need_ those suits."

Murrue sighed, accepting the inevitable. "I'll talk to them, Kira and Shinn at least since their machines are still intact."

-0-

"Commander Le Creuset is nuts! Using all that D-Equipment… What the hell is he planning!" Shiho complained, watching from a glass window as a handful of GINNs were loaded with heavy equipment. "It's not like we're going to go and attack JOSH-A!"

All of the Gamow's GINNs were prepping for battle; the issue came from the heavy equipment they were being equipped with. If things went wrong, Heliopolis would be shredded in minutes. The likelihood of that occurring was uncomfortably high.

"Why are you so pissed?" questioned Yzak as he gently floated through the air, hands behind his head. "They weren't as 'neutral' as we thought they were anyways."

"But what about the civilians?" Nicol interjected, looking sadly as large laser cannon was mounted on a GINN's shoulder. "One misfire and Heliopolis could be torn apart."

Yzak snorted, but didn't disagree with his green-haired squad mate. It was one thing if a soldier was killed; it was another thing entirely if an innocent was caught up in it all.

"This entire situation just isn't right," Dearka added.

-0-

"I'm not doing it," was Kira's quick reply.

Shinn simply stared at the ceiling, hands behind his head and lying on the bed as he listened to the conversation.

"I like this situation about as much as you do," Murrue stated. "However-"

"Alright, I'll do it," Shinn finally said, hopping off his bed.

"You will?" Murrue asked in surprise. She'd been expecting more retaliation from that one.

"What?" Kira asked, also surprised.

Shinn shrugged. "My sister's here. I have to protect her. And if I have to pilot a mobile suit to do it, then hell yeah I'll do it!" Shinn frowned, turning towards Kira. "And what about you? Everyone here is your friend, right? Then that means you have to defend them, or am I wrong?"

Kira glared at the boy, but then looked down at the floor ashamedly. "You're right. I _have_ to defend them."

"Alrigh then, let's go kick some ass!" Shinn urged.

"_Liutenant Ramius, report to the bridge at once! We've detected hostiles_," came Mu's voice over the intercom.

"That would be my cue," said the officer. "Good luck, and I'm sorry to thrust you all into this situation." She then frowned. "By the way, where's Stella?"

Mir answered. "She… ran out of the room earlier. Her watch started beeping and she freaked. When I went to ask what was going on, she didn't answer."

Murrue didn't like the sounds of that. "Thank you for telling me that. I'll talk to her later to see what happened there."

-0-

"_You shouldn't have come,"_ Athrun chastised over the radio.

"Screw you!" Rusty shot back. "Commander almost fried when he fought the missing suits. Not that that would've been a _bad_ thing… Anyways, there's no way I'll let you get killed. Besides I have the most firepower." And did he enjoy rubbing that fact in Dearka's face. "The _Maul_ is proof the Earth forces don't believe in the word 'overkill'."

He could almost hear Athrun shaking his head in amusement.

Originally, three GINNs were launched to combat the _Archangel_, all of which were armed with D-Equipment. Athrun, for unknown reasons, up and followed the group. Rusty, who had the fortune to be in the hangar and watch his friend launch, followed to supervise Athrun's stupidity.

"So what's up?" Rusty asked as the five suits reached halfway to their destination. He double-checked the line to make sure nobody was listening.

"_It's something personal,"_ Athrun simply replied.

"I kind of guessed that when you disobeyed, like, three different protocols in a span of five seconds, a record –I would like to add- I'm proud of."

Naturally, Rusty was considered the renegade of the group. He was always the first to disobey orders, much to Shiho and Yzak's dismay (but he did so within reason as not warrant arrestment via military police). The redhead also wasn't fond of Le Creuset and made everyone know it. If it was a mission he didn't like, his complaints would be heard the entire trip to and back (which he did with this mission as well). The only reason Commander Le Creuset didn't get rid of Rusty was because he was _good_ at what he did.

So, it was no wonder when he approved of Athrun's actions and then proceeded to follow his senior's footsteps.

Athrun explained. _"If I can just talk to a certain person while I'm there, not only will we get a seventh Mobile Suit, but we may get another comrade as well_."

Rusty raised an interested eyebrow. "How do you intend to pull this off?"

"_It's only if I can confirm my suspicions, but I believe one of those pilots is my old friend, Kira." _

"Really? Well, more power to you. Since this is the case, I'll let you make the plans." Rusty then moved to his communicator. "Alright, I'm switching to the same channel as the others."

-0-

"What are we up against?" questioned Shinn as he watched the _Strike_ being mounted with the _Sword Striker._

"_Well, it's not pretty,"_ Mu La Flaga answered. _"We count three GINNs. They're all equipped with D-equipment."_

"Crap, that isn't good," Shinn spoke to himself.

D-equipment usually meant overkill via firepower, and generally wasn't used unless heavy combat was involved. With that kind of firepower, Heliopolis's destruction would be inevitable.

"_Oh, it gets better,"_ Mu continued. _"As if that wasn't enough firepower, they also sent the _Aegis _and the _Maul_. Be careful out there."_

"Dammit," Shinn swore.

After watching the _Strike_ being catapulted, Shinn activated the _Raid's_ systems. Not long after, the system moved the mobile suit into place. Already, he could feel the adrenaline pumping through his body, his breathing becoming hard and erratic. He almost jumped when the suit dropped onto the catapult.

A voice he didn't recognize appeared on the intercom. _"Alright, you be careful out there."_

Shinn decided then and there that the greatest rush man could ever experience was the incredible Gs of being launched from a catapult. The twisting of his insides, being rammed into his seat, all of his blood being pounded… it could only serve to put a shit-eating grin on Shinn's face.

Upon leaving the catapult, his senses were assaulted by the chaos of battle. Kira was tangoing with a GINN with the _Aegis_ hovering not too far away. Another two GINNs were buzzing around the Archangel, trying to get a clear shot past the numerous Igellstellungs.

_Where's the Maul?_ Shinn mentally questioned, looking in his numerous cameras for said MS.

However, his klaxons answered the question. On instinct, he dodged a rain of laser Gatling, courtesy of a descending _Maul_.

Shinn took a brief second to eye the _Maul_. It was an impressive machine, no doubt designed to go to Hell and back only for the sake of reloading its armament; it's white phase-shift and gold outer-layer of armor set it among the most colorful of the suits. This suit held an intimidation factor of eleven out of ten, a machine people prayed they never encountered on the battlefield.

But Shinn was never one to be intimidated.

"Let's dance!" Shinn roared, the Beowulf swords swinging forward.

-0-

Rusty's grinned wryly as he watched the _Raid _charge forward as the elbow swords spun into place. He pulled the joystick to the side, easily dodging the initial swing, but the _Raid_ spun to the side to meet him, a sword following its wake. Quickly reacting, the _Maul_ pulled its shield to the front, easily holding the blow. But another sword swung at him. With a growl of frustration, Rusty opened up the _Maul's_ chest-mounted Gatling cannons to gain some space; the _Raid_ activated its microthrusters and jumped to the side as the rain came.

"Goddamnit, A close-range combatant…" Rusty muttered to himself. _Of all the opponents I had to fight, it had to be my _worse_._

The _Raid_ wasn't finished. It activated every one of its thrusters and bum-rushed the _Maul_, its swords pulled back for a hard swing. Rusty swiftly pulled out his suit's one and only close range weapon from a holster: the shotgun –being a solid-ammo weapon, it was weak against phase-shift; at close range, though, it was enough to punch a hole even in such armors. The redhead waited until the right moment when he brought up his shield and then unleashed a load of shot into his opponent. The power of the weapon was enough to send his opponent spiraling out of control and into the ground below.

"That look like it hurt," muttered Rusty, wincing at his opponent's crash.

Now with enough space to work his magic, Rusty readied every gun and missile mounted in the _Maul_'s body.

"Sorry about this. It's nothing personal."

-0-

Athrun watched in horror as his senior and friend, Miguel, was struck from behind by a beam boomerang. He couldn't react in time as the _Strike_ charged forward, driving its Schwert Gewehr through the midsection of the GINN. Miguel's dying screams shook through the radio.

"MIGUEL!" screamed Athrun.

A part of him was now out for Kira's blood. But he couldn't allow himself to hate a friend as close as a brother. This was a war after all, a game pitting two people together and seeing who lives; Kira was merely playing his part by surviving.

It was then the _Strike_ turned its attention onto him.

Turning the _Aegis_ into its mobile armor form, he drove into the _Strike_, pinning it to the wall of Heliopolis. Just as they pushed off, Athrun changed back into mobile suit mode and struck a foot against the _Strike_. Kira attempted to retaliate with the Schwert Gewehr by swinging horizontally, but Athrun pushed off and pulled out his beam rifle and shot into the shoulder of the _Strike_, destroying the Midas Messer while his next shot was deflected with the _Strike's_ buckler.

Athrun pulled back, dodging another horizontal slice as he opened up a comm. link to the _Strike_. Dodging a downward slice, he attempted to talk sense into Kira.

"Kira!" The _Strike_ stopped mid swing. "Kira Yamato!"

"_Athrun Zala?"_ replied a shocked voice. _"What… how…?"_

It was true… Kira really was piloting one of these damned machines.

"Kira, it's me, Athrun!" he went on, filling up with hope. "We're not enemies!"

"_But why are you… why are you with ZAFT?"_ Kira asked, the shock still numbing him.

"It's… It's a long story," Athrun smiled lightly. "But please, stop this madness! Come back with me!"

-0-

Oh God, it was such a tempting offer. It would be just like old times, Athrun and he together again as friends. Ever since they separated at Copernicus, it felt like they'd never see each other again –he could still remember Athrun offering him Birdy as a symbol of their friendship.

Kira could feel his hands tremble as he gripped his controls, as if readying to join his friend and head to the PLANTs. His toes even caressed the pedal controlling the thrusters.

But then… faces of his friends flashed before his eyes; Shinn volunteering to pilot the _Raid_ for the sake of his sister, Sai giving him hard time alongside Tolle, Mir talking with him about mundane things, Kuzzey hanging out alongside them, and everyone else on that ship.

Neither choice felt right.

"No," whispered Kira. "I won't join ZAFT."

"_Kira!"_ Athrun said, hearing every word. _"Please, I don't want to fight you_!"

Kira honestly didn't know if he was making the right choice, but it at least felt right. Besides, it was ZAFT that attacked Heliopolis. Why would he want to join the very organization attacking his home?

"My friends are on that ship!" he explained. "I won't let you hurt them!"

"_Kira, I-"_ Athrun was cut off as both turned to a sight they wished they'd never see.

One of the Gottfrieds on the _Archangel_ pegged a GINN that fired an oversized missile one second too late, causing the weapon to fly out of control. With wide eyes, they watched as the weapon hit the last support column. Suddenly, Heliopolis began to shake, cracks forming through the land and the structure. Within mere seconds, everything came apart, the vacuum of space mercilessly devouring everything.

Behind the _Strike_, a crack opened sucking the suit to the outside.

"_KIRA!"_ shouted Athrun as he dove for his friend, but another crack opened near his suit, tossing him outside the colony.

Kira pushed the engines to their maximum power, but no matter how much he tried, the pull only became stronger. With a cry of fear, Kira was thrown out to space.

-0-

The shotgun hadn't pierced the phase-shift, but it drained the battery substantially. A handful of hits was all the _Raid_ could handle before becoming scrap-iron.

Sadly, that thought might come to pass. Shinn thought he really was going to die as he watched every gun on the _Maul_ squarely aim at the _Raid_.

But he questioned why his life wasn't flashing before his eyes.

As it seemed the pilot was about to pull the trigger, both combatants turned to watch as the GINN's stray missile hit the superstructure binding Heliopolis together. In minutes, everything was torn apart and the atmosphere was hungrily devoured by the abyss.

Just as the _Maul_ turned its attention back onto Shinn, once again readying its massive armament, Shinn reacted as the ground below divided. With exceptional reflex, he willed the thrusters to live and dodged between the debris as the area was peppered with solid and energy bullets.

_I'm okay… I'm not dead._ Shinn told himself as he disappeared among the chaos._ Man… Mayu is going to throw a fit about me almost dying…_

-0-

"Slippery little bastard," muttered Rusty as he too succumbed to the chaos and was ejected out into space.

It was only because of his cool head and skills that Rusty maintained domination of the fight, even when the _Raid _supposedly had the upper hand; the other pilot charged in without a plan or knowledge of the consequences, denoting a hot-head comparable to Yzak. But with enough time, that rookie pilot might be able to match Athrun and him in a full fight, possibly even more.

"Oh, man. What. A. Mess." Rusty thought aloud as he took in the devastated colony. The council would be on this like stink on a skunk.

Activating his thrusters, he retreated to the _Vesalius._

_Author's Note:_ Well, here's the next chapter. It involved a small skirmish between pilots. Nothing big, and nothing drastic enough to warrant the full capabilities of the machines.

Kira's fight follows the anime strongly, but I didn't see a way to actually diverge, except maybe the small spat between him and Athrun. Shinn's fight against Rusty was pretty short, but compared to Asuka right now Rusty is a seasoned pilot and skilled in MS combat. So, it would only make sense that Rusty would win.

As for Shinn's piloting capabalities, it was stated that he was protégé in piloting mobile suits in the anime and was assigned the Impulse for that reason; I think him grasping control of the Raid –but not enough to overpower his opponents- fairly early is believable.

Generally, I'm not one to beg, but could you guys please review? Even a small 'good chapter' is appreciated! I mean, yeah, critical reviews are nice, but I'm not really picky about what I recieve. Keep in mind that reviews are what make the fan-fiction world turn. Flames will be pissed on, though.

_**Archangel Mobile Weapon Database**_**:**

**GAT-X104 Maul**

**Model Number**: GAT-X104  
**Code Name:** Maul  
**Manufacturer**: Morgenroete, Inc.  
**Operator:** ZAFT  
**Current Pilot**: Unknown [Coordinator, ZAFT]

**Head Height**: 18.67 meters  
**Approx. Standard Weight**: 100.89 MT  
**Accommodations**: Pilot only, standard torso cockpit  
**Powerplant**: Ultracompact Energy Battery  
**Armor**: Phase-Shift Armor  
**Role**: Siege combat

**Standard Armament**: X2 Gatling Beam Cannon, X2 120mm Anti-Ship Vulcan, X4 420mm 6 Barrel Missile Pod, X6 'Tarantula' Spread Missile Launcher, Combined Shield [60mm 6 Barrel Gatling Beam Cannon], X2 'Igelstellung' 75mm Multi-Barrel CIWS, 'Claymore' Anti-Armor Single-Barrel Shotgun

**Special Equipment and Features**: Chobham Assault Armor

**Notes:** The Maul is the most heavily armed and armored of the ten original G-weapons. Its original purpose was a standalone unit capable of capturing bases; its weapons are designed to fight multiple opponents and essentially lay siege to entire bases. Alongside the other units, it acts as support in the same way that the Buster provides cover fire. Unlike the other G-weapons, the Maul was designed with an outer layer of solid armor to provide extra protection during assaults. If necessary, the armor can be discarded for extra speed. However, the Maul was not designed for close-quarters combat; should an opponent get to close, the only weapon to create distance is the shotgun.

Many of weapons are built into the suit. The Gatling beam cannons are in the chest, the anti ship Vulcan are in the shoulders and the missile pods are built into the legs. Its shield even has a Gatling beam cannon. However, should the Maul encounter close-quarters combat, it has a Claymore shotgun to create distance or even destroy the opponent; phase-shift is able to take the damage, but it creates a heavy strain on power supply- Trans Phase-Shift can't withstand such an attack since it can't handle multi-vector attacks. It's most outstanding weapon is the 'Tarantula' spread missile; it can only carry six of the large missiles, but each is capable of carpet-bombing a small area and is dangerous against large targets; the sheer number of missile bomblets are also capable of shaving off phase-shift based armors with enough damage.

Pilot data is unavailable.

_**Database requires further updates. Signing off.**_

It seems every Gundam story out there needs a Heavyarms-type Gundam. Well, here's mine. Rather than go for a straight rip off of Heavyarms, I limited the weaponry to a degree and borrowed some design from Gundam Virtue, though not nearly as fat looking. Of the Gundams I created, this was the only that maintained its design from start. Some of the weapons are actually more reminiscent of Armored Core than Gundam.


	4. Phase 4: Saferwaters

The group of ZAFT redcoats looked on with horror at the remains of Heliopolis. By their hands, a supposedly peaceful colony was ripped apart. Solace only came knowing that the civilians were okay in their lifeboats.

"Goddammit!" cursed Dearka, slamming a fist into a wall.

"I didn't know it was so fragile," Nicol's voice was almost a whisper.

Shiho growled. "Using D-Equipment… only a dumbass would do something like that. Now the counsel's going to be on Commander Creuset. That's not saying anything about how Orb is going to react."

Yzak scoffed. "Personally, I think they deserved it." This brought several glares down on him, though Shiho cocked her head. "I mean, come on, they were building those machines there! In my book, that's anything but 'neutral'. And you guys know it too!"

"But there were innocent civilians, Yzak!" Nicol countered. "How do you think they feel about all this?"

The white-haired redcoat shrugged. "Hey, they should've known they were building weapons just under their feet."

"This doesn't change the size of the mess Commander Creuset is going to be in," Shiho commented looking outwardly at the destroyed colony.

Nicol sighed as he turned away from his squad mate's conversation to the sight of the ruined Heliopolis, watching as the pieces drifted around.

Deep inside, Nicol knew this foreshadowed the future. Somehow, with the creation of the new mobile suits, the precarious balance of power of the two countries tipped. But which side held the advantage was anybody's guess.

Was this war going to escalate to bloody levels? Would peace be finally achieved, or would the cinders of war continue to burn long after the swords were sheathed?

-0-

Shinn wiped the sweat from his bow, the droplets escaping into the gravityless cockpit. Getting his breathing controlled, he slowly pulled his hands to his eyes, watching as they shook.

He'd come close to dying. If the colony was destroyed _just_ a second later, the _Raid_ would've met a messy end.

From the _Raid's_ cameras, Shinn looked at the formerly peaceful colony, now nothing more than gnarled metal and debris. Glass drifted here and there, reflecting the light of the sun like an eccentric sun catcher; water, flash frozen by the cold of space, drifted through the emptiness not unlike the icebergs of earth.

Slowly, a Shinn felt anger boiling up. This had been Heliopolis. Now, it was a casualty of war.

He thanked God when his radio came to life, distracting him from the sight. _"…Pleas… Resp… Shinn… Ki…"_

Somber, he activated the _Raid's_ thrusters, away from the destruction.

"War is so stupid," Shinn somberly told himself.

-0-

"_Kir… Mato… pl… pond…"_an unknown voice echoed through the cockpit

Kira slowly stirred, his eyes twitching as he fought to stay asleep. He was tired; he couldn't remember what he did to be so sleepy, but he didn't want to wake. And that static was slowly becoming more annoying than his alarm clock.

"_KIRA!_" Athrun's voice echoed in the back of his mind.

His eyes flashed open, the past events replaying through his mind in an instant. He struggled to stand, but the seatbelt held him in place. After a moment he relaxed, remembering that he was inside the cockpit of the _Strike_.

Controlling his erratic breathing, he relived the brief confrontation with Athrun. Kira didn't want to believe his best friend took up that crimson mobile suit, but how could he deny it? His friend, a person he considered a brother, joined ZAFT and then attacked Heliopolis. This _had_ to be a nightmare, but Kira knew he wouldn't be able to stir from it.

He then recalled how Heliopolis was destroyed by a stray missile. For the first time he looked at the cameras. His eyes widened, taking in the sight of gnarled debris floating around the _Strike_.

"Heliopolis… is gone?" he breathed in disbelief.

It was then the static came to his attention. _"Pilot… Strike… hear me…"_

Kira activated his radio, increasing the strength of the signal and getting a clear message.

"_Kira Yamato, do you copy?_" came Ensign Badgiruel's voice (he hoped he remembered her name correctly).

"This is Kira Yamato. I'm okay," he replied.

The line was silent for a second, though Kira thought he heard a sigh from the other end. "_That's good to hear. Go ahead and return to the_ Archangel."

He then remembered the other pilot he deployed with. "Is Shinn okay?"

"_He's fine, and on his way now."_

Kira sighed in relief. It looked as if things weren't as bad as he originally thought. At least everyone came out of this alive.

Just as he turned the_ Strike_ to return to the _Archangel_, he saw a stranded lifeboat with flashing lights.

-0-

On the _Vesalius_, Ades was raging at Rau about the destruction of Heliopolis. Said commander completely ignored him. He already knew how to deal with the council, and it wasn't like Heliopolis was as neutral as it was made out to be. A man of his caliber _already_ had the situation under control.

"Ades," the captain shut his mouth. "Relax. Besides, how can a colony building new weaponry for the Earth forces be considered neutral? That fact isn't going to be overlooked by the council. And on top of that, all of the civilians had plenty of time to escape. Need I remind you of the Bloody Valentine Tragedy? Compared to that, this is just a minor issue."

Ades went silent, much to Rau's satisfaction.

Creuset turned towards an operator. "Have you been able to locate the enemy ship?"

"Not with these conditions," explained the worker. "The debris is easily masking the ship. The heat from the colony has yet to fully dissipate, and until then, we won't be able to get a signature of the legged ship."

"You plan to continue chasing the ship?" Ades asked as Rau looked towards the window. "We don't have enough suits. All we have is one spare GINN, but I don't see that of being any use in the rest of this operation."

"Don't be so foolish," Rau chastised, if amusedly. "We have six other machines as well, all of which are perfectly combat capable."

Ades sighed, seeing he was going to get nowhere. "So be it. I'll alert the _Gamow_ to be ready for another sortie."

-0-

As he floated out of the cockpit, Shinn was greeted by a hug from his sister, quickly followed by a slap.

"What was that for?" Shinn cried out, rubbing his now tender cheek.

"For worrying me sick, you idiot!" Mayu berated.

Shinn cowered under her harsh gaze.

His sister continued her rampage. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? I watched the _Maul _getting ready to kill you! You're so reckless! Haven't mom and dad already told you to use your head!"

Each and every syllable was enough for Shinn to shrink under his sister's wrath. Thankfully, before his sister could build momentum, a throat cleared from behind her.

"As entertaining as that was," Mu smirked, showing his amusement over Mayu's tangent. "I want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," Shinn quickly said.

Mu, though, didn't miss the haunted look in the boy's eyes. He'd seen it in pilots who witnessed death or came close to it. But he wasn't about to raise any red flags. Shinn looked as if he was handling it better than others, but the lieutenant hoped that if something was plaguing the teen he'd be willing to open up about it.

"Your sister did bring up a good point," Murrue said, bringing everyone's attention to the new captain and the XO trailing behind her. "You need to think things through more. The pilot of the _Maul _won because of experience and patience."

"Yeah, yeah," Shinn reluctantly acknowledged –he'd lost count long ago of how many times he heard this conversation, though the close-to-death part was new.

Mu cleared his throat. "Well, now that that is all taken care of, let's-"

He was interrupted as the _Strike_ walked into the hangar, holding a lifeboat. They watched as the mobile suit gently sat the pod down, and then moved itself into a cradle.

"Who the hell gave him authorization for that?" Natarle yelled.

-0-

Athrun stared out at the debris, hoping that by some off-kilter luck he'd get a chance to spot the _Strike_ among the debris drifting through space. The images of the past several-hours were much too vivid, like a nightmare he was forcefully living.

_That couldn't have been Kira_, Athrun mused, though he knew better.

Athrun remembered his best friend's face as he stared at Kira atop the MS. It was… a face he didn't want to ever see again. Then came their mock-battle in Heliopolis; it was only through his training and the anger over Miguel's death that Athrun was able to best his friend so quickly. Would it be the same if they met again with crossed swords?

Hesitantly, Athrun floated over to the room he formerly shared with Miguel. The deceased boy's items were neatly folded, ready to be delivered to his family.

_This isn't fair_, Athrun darkly thought. _Why do so many people have to die because of this war_?

"Yo!" came a voice from behind.

Athrun turned, finding Rusty behind him holding a hand in a gesture. The redhead lowered his hand, walking past Athrun towards his bed where he jumped unceremoniously onto his ever messy blankets. Much to Zala's amusement, the lack of gravity caught Rusty and wouldn't let go.

"Goddamnit! I want a nap!" yelled an irate Rusty.

Athrun couldn't help but ponder. How close _did _Rusty come to biting the bullet? If he remembered correctly, it was less than an inch.

"Hey, PLANTs to Athrun?" Rusty bellowed in annoyance. "I could use a little help here!"

With an amused shake of head, Athrun pulled his friend down by the foot. With a sheepish rub of his head, Rusty touched the floor.

"I hate space. There's nothing like a dirt road under your feet." Rusty sighed. "So, you ready for the chew-out session with commander Creuset? Hopefully it'll be a week in the brig. Seriously, there's nothing more demeaning than cleaning a toilet after somebody has Montezuma's revenge."

Athrun allowed a chuckle to skip his through his mouth. What would life be without the redhead there to cheer him up?

Rusty smiled as well. _I'm glad I could distract Athrun from Miguel's death, even if it's for a little bit… _

-0-

"So, you were the one piloting that mobile suit?" Flay asked as she sat in the crew quarters alongside Kira and the others.

"That's right," confirmed Sai as he took a seat next to the pink-haired girl. "Kira was the one piloting the suit."

"Really?" Flay went on. "Isn't it difficult to pilot one of those things?"

Kuzzey opened his mouth before Kira could think of an excuse. "Not for Kira. He's a Coordinator; so, it wasn't too hard for him."

"Kuzzey!" hissed Mir.

Flay looked at the abashed Kira with analyzing eyes. It wasn't common knowledge that she wasn't Coordinator-friendly, which was why she was sizing him up.

She remembered stories about Coordinators' capabilities – how they could perform amazing feats of strength, how powerful their reflexes were, and how they could learn almost anything. Her father was especially against any interactions with them. But Kira seemed so… _normal_. Maybe she could give him the benefit of the doubt.

She gave a quick bow of head to Kira. "Thank you very much for saving me."

Kira blushed. "Oh, uh, your… welcome."

"Yo!" Shinn entered the quarters.

None of the occupants missed the OMNI uniform the older Asuka sported. In his hands, he also had two other uniform sets, one male and the other for a female.

Shinn smirked as he tossed the men's set to Kira. "Captain's orders: we're to maintain our suits. And Mu wants us to meet up in an hour."

"You seem _too_ excited about this," Tolle commented.

Shinn shrugged. "I kinda' like piloting; I've got no issues working with the _Raid_."

Kira groaned. "You've got to be kidding me…"

"Well, find someone else to pilot the _Strike_ for you if you don't like it," Shinn said, eliciting Kira to grumble under his breath. "Anyways, my sister volunteered to be the programmer for the _Raid_, since I suck at it. Where's Stella so I can relay the orders and get her uniform to her?"

Mir answered. "She's in the room next door. But…" she bit her lip. "She was acting weird when she left."

Kira frowned, coming out of his inner rant to listen. "What happened?"

"Her watch started alarming and she ran out of the room," Mir answered, grimacing at the memory. "When I tried to ask her what was happening, she snapped at me."

"I'll see what's wrong," Shinn said, turning to leave. "Maybe she'll be more willing to talk now."

"Hopefully…" Mir muttered.

"Thanks for the heads-up," Shinn said, walking out of the door, Kira following to go change into his uniform.

"He's… so young," Flay said. "Is he a Coordinator too?"

Sai gave a lopsided grin. "Yeah. Just like Kira. He's got a little sister on here that's also a Coordinator –her name's Mayu."

"They're nice… like Kira?" The redhead bit her lip.

"Of course, though Shinn _is_ a bit tempermental; his little sister keeps him in line. It's funny to watch, actually."

"What about this Stella?"

There Sai hit a conundrum. How was he going to explain _that_ one?

"She's kind of… _odd._" That was an understatement. "We don't exactly know what she is. She says she's a Natural, _but_… she can do things _only_ a Coordinator can do."

-0-

_Knocking_… She could hear knocking.

Slowly, Stella stirred from her nap. After stretching like a cat whilst yawning, the Extended crawled out of bed while rubbing her eyes.

Looking at her watch, she saw that an hour already past. Five more before her next change-out.

Another knock reminded Stella that someone was waiting for her. She shuffled to the door, opening it reveal Shinn holding a pink uniform to his side.

The crimson-eyed boy took in Stella's disheveled appearance. Her hair was almost as messy as his; her muffled dress clung to her form, like she'd been sweating too much; her eyes were bloodshot, like a druggie suffering from withdrawal.

"You okay?" Shinn asked.

Stella nodded. "Just sleeping."

Shinn brightened. "You definitely look like it." His frown returned. "The others saw you run out the room, and then you bit that girl's head off when she tried asking what was wrong. Mind telling me what happened?"

Stella hesitated. She was prohibited from telling anyone about the program. They told her there'd be consequences if any words of it slipped past her lips –_really_ bad consequences. She _had_ to obey orders.

"Just needed my medicine," Stella lied.

Well, it wasn't a complete lie… Was that as good as lying anyways?

Shinn blinked. "Oh. Uh… what's it for?"

The blond shifted uncomfortably. "Don't wanna talk about," she whispered.

"'Kay, then I won't ask about it," Shinn said as he handed her uniform –he knew that some people detested talking about their medical conditions, so he wasn't about to pick her brain with questions. "Captain ordered all pilots to maintain their machines. So, we're all stuck piloting them. Not that I'm complaining… Oh, and Lieutenant Flaga wants the pilots to meet up in about an hour."

Stella nodded in affirmation as she took the uniform, closing the door as she turned.

She sat on her bed, taking in the sight of the pink uniform.

-0-

Several matters were on the forefront of Murrue's mind.

First was leading the Archangel to the moon. The crew was the definition of ragtag, and making the situation messier were the civilians on board. That wasn't mentioning the lack of supplies like water and food or officially trained pilots. No matter how anyone looked at the situation, the odds were stacked against them.

Then there was the conundrum named 'Stella Loussier'… Merely thinking of the blonde was enough to give Murrue a headache. Loussier claimed herself a Natural, but could pilot an advanced MS on par with her Coordinator peers. Adding the strange incident with her watch, things only got weirder. There was more to Stella than they understood, but Murrue doubted the teen would opt to talk.

If only Ramius realized that Stella's only existing file was buried in her desk…

Mu knocked on her door. Realizing more important matters were at hand, Murrue dropped the subject.

"Right on time," Murrue commented, setting her head on her hands.

"You make it sound as if I'm incompetent, or something," Mu commented sarcastically.

"Cut the crap," Murrue pointedly ordered. "We're stuck between a rock and a hard place, so forgive me if my sense of humor is a bit dry. What do you make of our situation?"

Mu reclined in his chair, going over several scenarios in his head. "Well, I have a couple of ideas. I know we have enough time to plan and fix our machines, but we're giving enough time for my old friend Rau Le Creuset to come up with a way to stop us. As far as I see it, we're not getting out of here without a fight."

"I was afraid of that," Murrue said. "What's he going to throw at us?"

"That's not hard," Mu said. "Chances are he'll send the stolen mobile suits after us."

"Okay," Murrue sat back up, holding a hand to her chin. "We're up against six stolen prototype weapons, and it's likely a ZAFT ship will be blocking our way out of here. How do we get out of this situation?"

"Well, I do have this one idea…"

-0-

Athrun grimaced as he stood in front of Commander Creuset's desk, waiting for whatever punishment the ace had in mind. Rusty stood next to him, wearing a bored face fitting on a child sent to the principal's office one too many times.

Rau laid down his pen, finishing whatever paperwork he was given (a mission report maybe?). "I really can't say I'm disappointed in you two," Rau finally told the two.

Rusty suddenly found this conversation very interesting. Athrun merely raised an eyebrow.

"Wait," Rusty interjected, as if the concept of not getting into trouble was new. "You're not going to throw us in the brig for a week, or give us some demeaning task involving toilets?"

Rau smirked in amusement. "Despite how irked I was that you two went and broke so many protocols, I must say that I'm pleased with the information you two gathered on the enemy machines. This will be valuable for future confrontations with the legged ship."

"Uh, this is new…" Rusty thought aloud in bewilderment.

"Athrun, I'm going to order you to stay out of the next sortie," Rau went on.

Athrun was quick to counter as Rau stood up from his desk. "But-"

Rau held up a hand for the youth to stop. "I understand about you and the pilot of the _Strike_, which is why I'm pulling you. It's such a painful thing to pull the trigger on someone you hold dear."

"Wait!" Athrun jumped in front of his commanding officer before he left the office. "What if I could talk sense into Kira? He doesn't realize that he's being used by the Naturals for their own purposes. If I can just get a minute to talk to him I might be able to bring him to his senses."

Rau considered the proposition. "Alright, but if he doesn't listen, then _you_, out of everyone, must pull the trigger."

Athrun closed his eyes as he lowered his head. "I… understand."

With that, Rau walked out of the room.

When his commander was a fair distance away, Rusty spoke up. "You know that's a bunch of bullshit, right?"

Athrun flinched under his friend's curse, but remained silent.

"That Kira-guy doesn't sound like someone to go and betray anyone," Rusty explained. "I'm all behind you, but I'm just going to warn you and say that your friend may not be so willing to join us."

"I know," Athrun sighed. "But I've got to do something."

"And I respect you for that," Rusty complimented as he walked past his senior.

-0-

Rau moved next to Ades, looking down at the map before him. So far, they hadn't been able to find the legged ship. Amidst the chaos, the ship disappeared among the debris, easily evading their radars by standing still and not activating its engines.

"Have you been able to pinpoint the legged ship yet?" Rau asked as he floated near the map.

Captain Ades answered: "No. It's still hiding among the debris."

"I figured as much," commented Rau. "They must be taking time to plan a way to get past us. But what might their destination be?"

"We have two possibilities," Ades suggested. "One destination would be the Artemis base just west of Heliopolis. But we believe strongly that their desired destination would be the moon."

Rau held a hand to his face as he analyzed possible outcomes. The moon would be the most probable choice; that was OMNI territory and would thus be the most protected. Then again, Artemis with its famed umbrella was nearby. This was quite the conundrum they were in! Trying to anticipate the prey's next step always was a messy affair, but there was a reason why Rau was considered a genius of warfare.

"I want the Gamow to block the path to the moon. The Vesalius will move between the debris and the Artemis base," ordered Rau. "If they take either route, one of the ships will notice them and the other can join in on the attack."

-0-

"She's up and running now," Murdoch told Mu as they stood in front of the now repaired _Mobius Zero._

"Good," Mu said.

Just as he turned to leave, the damaged _Reach_ caught Mu's eye. The MS, drab and dark as its sleeping brethren, was missing an arm and part of its helmet; the torso was distorted but still workable; one of its feet was gnarled enough that it stood only by aid of a metal crutch strapped to its shin. However, unlike the others, it looked as if it was wearing an opened black cloak that almost matched the length of the Gundam.

"How exactly did that suit survive? I hear they're fragile when the armor is down," the ace asked.

Murdoch rubbed the stubble on his chin. "Yeah, they are; without the phase-shift, the suit is a sitting duck. However, this one survived for one reason." Murdoch pointed towards the cloak. "That there, the cloak around the suit. It actually prevented the rubble from crushing the suit. Still, it didn't exactly come out in once piece."

"What kind of armor is that?" Mu asked.

"Laminated armor," the engineer answered, "the same kind used on the Archangel. It can take most solid weaponry easily; even weaker beam weaponry has trouble getting through that thing."

"That's pretty impressive. So, it has the highest defense of the suits, huh?"

"Armor-wise, yes -technically, the _Siege_ has the highest defense capabilities with all that electronic crap installed on it. Still, it's an impressive machine."

"Okay, now I'm curious to pilot this thing," Mu said, eyeing the suit like a greedy window-shopper. "How long until it's repaired?"

"A week, give or take a couple days," Murdoch answered.

Mu's expression fell. "That sucks."

"Yo!" Shinn's voice interrupted the duo. "You wanted us?"

Turning towards the young pilot, Mu also found Kira, Mayu, and Stella trailing behind the elder Asuka, all sporting OMNI uniforms. The four gently landed on the ground and walked towards the older pilot, curious as to what the conversation was going to entail.

"I did," Mu said, a smile tugging at his lips. "We're going to have our first squad meeting."

"But we're only civilians," Mayu corrected.

It took a minute to realize that Shinn's little sister was present, whom wasn't exactly a pilot.

"Two things. One: until we meet up with the Earth Forces, all of you are stuck piloting those machines. Which also means I'm your squad leader." Kira's eye twitched in aggravation, Shinn smirked, and Stella cocked her head. "Which brings us to point number two: Mayu, why are you here? You're not exactly a pilot."

Said girl blushed. "Oh, well, I figured it'd be good for me to be here since Shinn can't rewrite an OS to save his life. Literally."

"HEY!" Shinn fired off indignantly

"Okay, I'll give you that one," Mu sighed. "Anyways… What I want to tell you guys is that we're about to enter combat soon. I'm going to warn you guys now, every skirmish up to now have been nowhere _near_ as extreme as real combat. And we're about to enter a full blown combat situation."

Mu paused to let the information sink in. And sink it did… like a brick in the ocean. Shinn swallowed a lump that suddenly developed in his throat; Mayu nervously bit her lip; Kira was taking calming breaths; and Stella –normally one to be distracted by _anything_- was clinging onto every word. Good, they were paying attention.

"To get out of this hole, we're running like hell to Artemis," Mu continued. "But, that bad itch, Rau Le Creuset, is waiting for us. To get out of his way, the Archangel and you guys are going to tango with him and his merry band while I sneak through the debris with my Mobius and surprise the enemy's main ship. After I deal enough damage and force a retreat, we regroup and make like bats out of Hell towards Artemis. The umbrella there will give us some protection against ZAFT until we resupply. Any objections?"

The second opinion was important for Mu. Being gifted with exceptional minds, the young Coordinators could find chinks in his plan and possibly develop an even better one should this prove too crazy.

Kira closed his eyes in concentration, working every step of the plan in his brilliant mind. He envisioned every scenario Mu could encounter, and what they're roles would entail in the ensuing fight. No matter how many times he worked it, though, there weren't any blaring weaknesses.

"No, I think it works," Kira voiced. "The debris should still be warm, easily masking something small like a Mobius, but only if you keep a good distance from the fight."

Stella seconded the analysis with a nod of head. "But you mustn't miss," Stella voiced, garnering everyone's attention. "You have approximately an eight second window to damage the main ship before they retaliate. If the opportunity is missed, the battle time will lengthen considerably and the danger will increase by a factor of three."

"Kira, Mayu, Shinn, you got the same thing?" Mu asked for confirmation. All three nodded.

"Dually noted, sweetheart," Mu said. "An eight second window… more than enough time for me to work a miracle. With that in mind, go suit up! The longer we stand here, the more time Creuset has to get creative!"

-0-

Kira walked down the hallways, following behind Mu as thoughts of battle plagued his mind. Just behind them, Shinn and Stella followed, both as silent as their seniors. All four sported different colored flight suits: Shinn's was red and black, Kira's was teal, and Stella's had a pink color scheme. All four carried their helmets under their arms, somber and quiet as they marched towards the hangar.

"Nervous?" Shinn quietly asked Stella as they walked.

Stella cocked her head. "Not sure. Are you?"

The Asuka swallowed hard. "Yeah. I… almost got killed last time. And now we're going into an even _extremer_ situation. I'm so nervous I feel like I'm going to puke. How come you're so calm?"

Stella shrugged, which earned a sigh from Shinn. He was hoping to get a hint to about that badass composer…

Kira, though, was letting his thoughts wander as he traversed the halls of the Archangel. Would Athrun be fighting in the battle? If so, could Kira pull the trigger on his friend? The mere thought was enough to make the Coordinator sick to his stomach. He wouldn't be able to live with himself afterward.

"Kira!" Mir's voice knocked Kira out of his thoughts.

The entourage of pilots was stopped as Mir, Sai, Tolle, and Kuzzey came towards them. Even more surprising yet was the uniforms they donned.

"What are you all doing?" Kira asked, dumbfounded.

Sai was the first to answer. "Well, we all thought about how you've been protecting us this entire time."

Tolle then spoke up. "So, we decided to fight too. We all became volunteer soldiers, and after all of this is done, we'll leave with you!"

They all turned to leave.

"Good luck out there! We'll be watching!" Kuzzey told them over his retreating back.

Kira watched as they turned the corner towards the bridge. A smile tugged at his lips knowing they were backing him.

Maybe he could pull that trigger, if at least to protect them.

"Good friends," Shinn muttered, coming up next to Kira.

Kira's smile became softer. "Yeah, I know."

-0-

"Hey!"

Athrun looked away from the _Aegis_ to find Rusty and Nicol approaching, both sporting their flight suits like Zala.

"You okay?" Nicol asked, coming to a stop by grabbing a rail.

Athrun smiled lightly. "I just have a lot on my mind."

"I know what you mean," Nicol sighed. "The past couple days have been _crazy_."

"Well, both of you need to get your heads out of the clouds," Rusty interrupted, crossing his arms as he floated several inches off the rail. "At any minute, nine kinds of hell could be unleashed. We're on standby for a reason, you know?"

"Don't remind me," murmured Athrun as he turned back towards the _Aegis_.

_Author's Note:_ End of chapter. Some small character development here and there, preparations for one of my favorite battle scenes in the entire season, and so on. Yes, filler. I don't even like to write it, but it's a necessary evil to keep the story going. It's a short chapter, but the coming battle is fast-paced with much awesome added and I didn't want to make this overly long.

I'm thinking of keeping most of the chapters fairly short –predominately around five thousand words- for the sake of updates. Don't expect them weekly, but they'll definitely appear faster than my other stories due to a lack of a beta reader, which I'll stay away from for the moment –I'm using this to keep my skills sharp. The primary reason why the story updates so quickly is because I have several chapters completed already, and all I need is to ghost-read them and then post. Sadly, that won't last. Hopefully, I can keep my writing momentum.

I'm going to tell you now, I like developed characters. So, there's going to be some chapters dedicated to it in its entirety. Unlike Destiny, Shinn meets Kira early, which means more interaction between them; Stella is also present early and interacting with Kira, Shinn, and Mu.

The Reach won't see combat for a while. Expect to see it in action after the Artemis incident. You'll find information on it earlier than combat, but that's for certain reasons; its full profile will appear later. And no, I didn't originally intend to reference the Halo game of the same name –good game by the way. If you want an idea of what the Reach cloak looks like, look up the Astray Blue Frame Second G (I think that's correct…), but it doesn't fold into a set of wings.


	5. Phase 5: Mezame

The plan was stupid. So stupid, in fact, that it would _actually_ work. It took a crazy genius -or a demented Coordinator- to come up with plans like these!

Lieutenant Flaga's idea was surprisingly simple. The execution… not so much. The Archangel and its three active mobile suits would lure out the Vesalius, its partner-ship, and all six of the stolen suits. While they were busy providing a distraction, Mu would slink towards the Vesalius in his _Mobius Zero_, hidden by the debris, and once close enough he'd perform a surprise attack and force the ZAFT ships away. It was brilliant… but stupid, nonetheless.

Those were Murrue's thoughts as she sat in the captain's seat.

Murrue took a moment to look at the current crew on the bridge. With a sigh, she realized how low on manpower they were. Lacking a full crew, the Archangel would only be as half as effective. It didn't take many people to fly this ship, but that didn't mean anything less could be compensated for.

So, it was a pleasant surprise when the college students walked in, requesting they be assigned a job. It was the first time since the start of this mess that Murrue allowed a smile to grace her lips.

Maybe they were going to live.

-0-

"_Kira, just relax,"_ Mu said over the radio, trying to calm said boy as the _Strike_ loaded onto the linear catapult.

Indeed, the adrenaline was getting to Kira. This was going to be his first real battle.

"I know," he replied. "I'm just a little nervous."

"_Same here_," Shinn added. _"I don't know whether I'm excited or scared as hell."_

Across the way, the _Raid_ was being loaded onto the catapult simultaneously with the _Strike_. Unlike the _Strike_, though, it wasn't weaponless. With its full arsenal, the _Raid_ was already combat-capable.

"_I love this part,"_ Shinn's voice carried a note of excitement. _"_Raid,_ launching!"_

Not even a second later, he was launched into the vastness of space with a whoop of exhilaration.

Kira took several calming breaths as the _Strike_ dropped onto the catapult. Slowly, the side panels opened, one bearing a gun and the other a shield. From behind, Kira watched through the cameras to see a backpack with several engines being attached.

Much to his surprise, Mir's face came onto the screen. Despite the seriousness of the moment, she was smiling.

"_Hey, Kira_!" she said, putting a smile on his face. "_I'll be the combat operator for you and the others. Make sure you do a good job out there!_"

"Of course!" Kira said . "But I have a quick question: what's with the _Aile Striker_?"

"_It's the most balanced of the five _Striker Packs_ we have,_" she explained. "_On top of that, it's the most maneuverable and will give you speeds to match the _Estoc_ and the _Aegis_. You'll need all of that in this battle._"

"Thanks," he said.

For a brief moment, Kira was given the chance to look out into space. The light of the stars glinted off of his helmet, as if to tell him how soon he would join them in their infinite vastness. It was the most bittersweet of sights. Someday, he hoped he'd be able to look up at the stars and not see a sky dyed red.

Preparing for his jump, Kira set the boosters at maximum. The linear catapult cleared for his launch.

"_Strike_," Kira declared, "launching!"

The linear catapult lit up, shooting the _Strike_ forward and throwing Kira into his seat. Within seconds, the _Strike_ cleared the Archangel, the vibrant color scheme coming alive as the PS armor activated. He followed closely to the _Estoc_ as the white suit flew ahead in MA form.

-0-

"Fire the decoy," Murrue ordered, opening up the sortie.

"Firing!" Sai announced.

A missile-like object left the tail of the ship, moving forward until it suddenly picked up speed and sped out of the debris of Heliopolis, aiming towards the moon. If luck was on their side, the ships would mistake it for their signature; although, likelihood was Creuset realizing the distraction and ignoring it.

"Open up the boosters at fifteen-percent and slowly climb towards thirty," Murrue ordered. "Move lightly. We don't want to start the party early."

"On it!" Tolle shouted from below in the copilot's seat.

Slowly, the thermonuclear thrusters began to glow, pushing the ship forward at a slow pace. With only thirty-percent, they would have to be really near a ship before they could be detected by radars. It didn't matter, though; even at such low power, the ship was at a decent cruising speed.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they sighted the Vesalius. The blue ship stood before their path like an unmovable boulder. But that was going to change…

"It looks like they didn't fall for the decoy… Prepare the Lohengrin!" ordered Murrue.

Outside the ship, two guns came forward from the legs of the ships. Light formed from there shafts as the positrons super-heated.

Under the guise that they were being spooked, the Archangel would fire its powerful Lohengrin, thereby attracting the enemy's full attention. If it worked out, they may even cause damage to the enemy ship with the massive cannons.

Counting down in her head, Natarle waited for the right timing. "Get ready, and… FIRE!"

The Lohengrin released twin beams of destruction. Explosions lined the paths of the attack as it stretched out like red spears into space, annihilating everything they touched. The impressive display, though, was marred by the sight of the Vesalius turning its full attention onto them.

Murrue took a deep, calming breath. "Let's hope this works."

-0-

"You… were right," Captain Ades admitted. "The signature heading towards the moon really was a decoy."

"And it seems," Creuset noted, "that we spooked them. Order all of the experimental mobile suits to launch."

-0-

Athrun dived into the cockpit of the _Aegis_, immediately activating systems the moment he strapped in. Once everything came alive, he moved into the linear catapult, followed closely by Rusty in the _Maul_. As the entrance opened up, Athrun prepared his suit for launch. Cleared, the linear catapult lit up, tossing the _Aegis_ into space as its crimson armor came to life with a static note. Not even a minute later, the _Maul_ was following close behind.

"_Are you ready for this_?" Rusty asked from the comm. link.

"Truthfully," Athrun somberly answered, "no."

The comm. buzzed as Rusty sighed. _"Just keep your cool. I understand you guys are close friends, but don't do anything stupid; the last thing we need is to send you back to the PLANTs in a body bag._"

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen," Athrun said.

-0-

Yzak flew ahead of the group, more than eager to test his new machine. The _Duel_ was a fascinating piece of equipment compared to their GINNs. It was such a simple, yet effective machine. It was almost hard to believe this piece of hardware was capable of slicing through GINNs like a sickle through wheat.

"This is going to be fun," Yzak told himself.

Shiho, though, heard him over the radio. _"Don't get carried away. I'd hate to see a good machine wasted," _she said, carefully hiding her concern for him with the machine-excuse.

"You sound like my mother," he shot back.

"_Don't-"_ she tried to counter, only to be interrupted by Dearka.

"_Hey, I'd hate to interrupt the lovers' quarrel_," Shiho growled over the radio, but it was barely noticeable –Nicol heard it, though, and shook his head in amusement, "_but we've got contacts. Let's see… they're_ the Raid, _the_ Estoc, _and the_ Strike. _Yzak was right; this'll be fun."_

Shiho came back onto the radio. "_Nicol, Dearka, go for the_ Estoc. Yzak, _you and I will take the_ Raid. _Rusty and Athrun are in position to intercept the_ Strike."

Yzak snorted. "I'm going to go and help Athrun. Rusty will probably skip past the _Strike_ and head for the legged ship; he's better built to attack it anyways."

"_Wait… Ugh, fine. Just don't screw up."_ Shiho gave in knowing Rusty would do just as Yzak said. And that Yzak wouldn't listen to her anyways.

-0-

"_Alright, here they come,"_ Murrue said over the radio. "_Kira, intercept the_ Maul _and the_ Aegis. _Shinn, take the _Dual_ and the _Siege_. Stella, block the _Blitz_ and the _Buster_. If things work out, we'll provide cover fire."_

"I'm on it," Kira replied.

He pushed the boosters of the _Aile Striker_ at maximum, speeding towards the _Aegis _and _Maul_. As Kira charged forward, he pulled a beam saber off the pack as Athrun ignited a wrist-mounted saber on the _Aegis_. Just as they were about to make contact, the _Aegis_ sped past, not even raising its weapon.

"What?" Kira asked in shock.

The _Strike_ spun to chase the _Maul_ as it sped past him, but his path was blocked by Athrun.

"_Kira,"_ hearing his friend's voice, Kira set his communicator on a private link. "_Please, stop this madness. I don't want to fight you, and I know you don't want to fight me either._"

"I… I don't want to," Kira quietly agreed.

The suits sped around, circling each other in a dizzying dance. Kira used the speed of his machine with hopes of slipping past his friend, but the _Aegis_ was quick, easily blocking his path without fail.

"_Then, please, come back with us_," Athrun suggested.

"No!" Kira defiantly shot back. "I won't join ZAFT!"

It was one of the few times Kira ever heard his normally controlled friend growl in frustration. "_I'm not asking you to join us! I just want you to come with us; you won't have to fight, you won't have to do anything!"_

Kira maneuvered his suit to duck under the _Aegis_, but Athrun anticipated the move and fired its gun to stop him in his tracks, beginning the dance anew. Several more times, Kira attempted to jig past Athrun, even using saber strikes to dissuade his friend, but Athrun countered with the _Aegis's_ shield and stopped his path.

"_Please, listen to me!"_ Athrun pleaded, almost on the verge of begging.

"My friends are on that ship!" Kira countered. "I won't abandon them!"

-0-

"Ah shit," Shinn muttered as he watched the _Maul_ scream past the _Strike_ towards the Archangel.

Klaxons brought him back to reality, warning him to dodge a laser attack courtesy of the _Siege_. Before Shinn could react, the violet suit shot past him. He activated the thrusters to give chase, but the _Buster_ cut him off with beams from its hip mounted weapons, creating an opening for the _Buster_ and _Blitz_ to take advantage of.

To Shinn's relief, the _Estoc_ met the two in plane form, launching a pair of missiles that stopped the duo's charge.

"_Take one!"_ Stella ordered. _"They cannot reach the Archangel!"_

"Got it!"

The Beowulf switched into place as Shinn charged towards the _Blitz_, the nearest of the two. His opponent was quick to raise his shield, blocking the locking sword strikes, but Shinn wasn't finished as he activated the microthrusters and pushed the _Blitz_ back away from the Archangel. To break the lock, the _Blitz_ raised its Gleipnir. On instinct, the _Raid _side-jumped as the anchor launched, Shinn countering with switching back his swords and firing both his arrow-like anchors. One struck the shield, ricocheting away; the other, however, embedded itself in the shoulder of the same arm.

"Gotcha!" Shinn muttered, pressing the trigger and retracting the line.

-0-

"_I need help!"_ Nicol's panicked voice echoed.

"Dammit!" Rusty roared, hearing his friend's voice over the radio.

"_Rusty, I'll go help Nicol!"_ he was relieved to hear Shiho. "_Can you take the Archangel?"_

They didn't have enough time to fully explore each MSs' capabilities, leaving Shiho with only a pair of beam pistols and sabers. Against a monster like the legged ship, the violet and black _Siege_ was merely a hindrance.

"Leave it to me! I'll cover you!" Rusty bellowed as he opened up all his weapons and unleashed steel hell upon the brightly colored ship. However, the laminated armor took the damage well, only becoming red hot from his beam tracer rounds.

Not satisfied, he opened up two of the six hexagonal missile chambers, revealing a pair of large missiles. Pulling the trigger, both weapons screamed out of their chambers. As they raced through the numerous Igellstellungs, both blossomed and revealed numerous micromissiles lining the inside of the case. Each launched, creating a deadly steel flock.

Before Rusty could celebrate, the Archangel unleashed several depth charges, immediately destroying the steel rain.

Looking at his cameras, Rusty sighed in relief as he watched the _Siege _reach his allies.

-0-

Dearka decided he hated the _Estoc_. By like, a lot.

"STAND STILL, YOU SONUVABITCH!" Dearka roared, the frustration getting to him.

The _Buster _swiveled around, its combined shotgun firing round after round as he tried to get. One. Stinkin'. Hit.

His opponent was agile, easily keeping ahead of the shots or nimbly dodging any that came close. And every time he tried to reach Nicol, the suit transformed and rained beam shots in his path.

_There!_ Dearka mentally yelled.

He shot past the _Estoc _towards the _Blitz_ and _Raid_, but just as he could taste freedom, the plane-like MS rammed into his side, pushing him away from his friend.

"DAMN IT!" roared Dearka, the _Buster_ struggling to right itself.

He was saved as the _Siege_ shot the _Estoc's_ tail wing, destroying it and forcing the suit to transform to maintain control.

"_We need to get to Nicol _now!" Shiho said.

Both retreated as the long wings folded over the Estoc's shoulders and opened fire from its impulse cannons. Both suits nimbly dodged the attacks as they approached the _Blitz_.

-0-

Rusty stood just out of range of the massive arsenal of the Archangel, dodging the longer range Gottfried and Valiant blasts as they came.

Whirling around a Valiant shot, he opened up his full arsenal and fired every chain, Vulcan, and Gatling gun. The wave of bullets pockmarked the surface of the ship, but the laminated armor remained intact. His missiles curved towards the bridge of the legged ship, but the numerous Igelstellungs picked apart the flock of steel in a matter of seconds.

"Daaaamn!" Rusty whistled. "What the hell is this thing made of!"

Looking through his cameras, Rusty scouted for a possible weakness all the while dodging a missile barrage and setting the missiles alight with his own Igelstellungs.

"Well, what do we have here?" Rusty noted, raising an eyebrow as he noticed a discrepancy in the enemy attacks.

Using the superior maneuverability of the _Maul_, Rusty dove downward at maximum speeds, exiting the firefight. Using the opening, he fired his last four Tarantula missiles, eighty micro missiles launching seconds later. But Rusty's mouth dropped as he watched the Archangel spin to meet the attack, releasing depth charges as it did. The explosions engulfed the oncoming missile barrage, destroying the flock and saving the ship.

As the smoke cleared, Rusty was forced to dodge another oncoming Valiant blast. He flew backwards and perched himself just outside the range of the legged ship's arsenal, earning a chance to breath.

_I'd at least need Buster in order to _at least_ match this monster_, Rusty mentally analyzed.

-0-

"_Please, Kira,"_ Athrun's voice was on the verge of begging, "_stop this_!"

"Out of my way!" Kira roared.

The _Strike_ raised its laser rifle, taking aim at the _Aegis_, but the _Duel_ suddenly descended on their dance, pulling out a pair of beam sabers. Before Kira could react, the newcomer sliced through the barrel of his rifle, but as the second attack came, Kira brought up his shield, deflecting the laser saber.

Kira clenched his teeth as his breathing became harder. Unlike Athrun, the pilot of the _Duel_ sought his death.

With no other options, Kira drew a beam saber off of the _Aile Striker_, blocking a strike and deflecting another with his shield. Sparks flew as saber met saber.

-0-

Nicol, in desperation, fired the Trikeros mounted beam rifle, but the _Raid _jumped to the side, still reeling in the _Blitz _for the kill. He fired again and again, but the navy-colored suit used its microthrusters to weave in and out of the beams

Trying another tactic, the black MS fired the Gleipnir. The _Raid _countered with its other rocket anchor, knocking it off course.

When the Blitz was close enough, Nicol watched in fear as the other Beowulf swung forward for a killing blow.

"_Hold on!"_ Shiho cried.

The _Siege_ flew past the cable, its beam saber cutting the _Blitz_ loose.

-0-

"Dammit!" Shinn muttered.

The alarms screamed. On reflex, he pressed the peddle to the metal, dodging a sniper shot from the _Buster_. Activating the microthrusters, he began weaving through the _Blitz_'s beam rifle and the _Siege's_ dual beam pistols.

"I could use some help here!" Shinn almost screamed in the comm. unit.

-0-

"Target in sight," Stella whispered, firing the Ruda and destroying the barrel of the hyper impulse sniper rifle.

The _Estoc_ dove past the _Buster_, weaving through its retaliatory missiles as she locked onto the _Siege_ and fired the Gathus. Several shots caught an arm while others crippled one of the triangular wings on the enemy suit's back.

"_Thanks_," Shinn said over the comm.

Stella didn't have time to reply as the _Blitz_ charged, firing its darts. She willed the _Estoc_ to roll out of the way, but it was upon her with saber ablaze. Its beam weapon was stopped by a familiar solid sword, another following and hitting the Trikeros with enough force to send the _Blitz_ reeling with a gouge in its Trikeros.

Both the _Raid_ and the _Estoc_ hung back to back as they watched the three enemy suits circle them.

-0-

"Finish the fight," Rau ordered his team.

Despite victory drawing ever closer to his grasp, he couldn't help it as a sinking feeling made its presence known. Murphy's eleventh law: If everything is seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something. And, God, did he feel like he was overlooking something.

He frowned as he looked at the combatants. Hmm… There was the _Strike_, fighting the _Dual_ and the _Aegis_; farther away were the _Estoc_ and the _Raid_ surrounded by the _Blitz, Siege, and Buster_; farther yet was the _Maul _fighting the legged ship. Wait...! Where was-

And there came the pulse in his mind at the worst possible moment.

_SHIT!_ Creuset uncharacteristically screamed in his mind.

"ADES! GET US-" too little, too late as explosions rocked the Vesalius. "Damn you Mu La Flaga!"

-0-

Kira was distracted by the retreat flares the Vesalius launched in the wake of the damage of Mu's surprise attack.

It was all the opening Athrun needed.

Before Yzak could deliver a deathblow, Athrun transformed the _Aegis_ into mobile armor form and rushed forward. Right as the beam saber came crashing down, Athrun snagged the _Strike_ and hurried towards the Vesalius.

"_What the hell are you doing!"_ Yzak roared in outrage.

"If we can capture just one these suits, then it's all the better!" Athrun shot back in his defense.

The _Strike_ struggled against the _Aegis_. Kira, using his ever incredibly ingenuity, fired the _Aile Striker's_ boosters and managed to free himself, but Athrun charged forward just as the _Strike_ escaped, recapturing the suit. To dismay Kira from further struggle, Athrun activated all four of the beam sabers.

"_Let me go!"_ ordered Kira.

Even with the threat of evisceration by beam sabers, the _Strike _continued to struggle. Athrun forced the _Aegis_ to clench harder onto the suit.

"Kira," to his relief, the _Strike _stopped struggling, "even if I have to force you, I'm bringing you back with me!"

"_Not on your life!"_

The _Aile Striker's _thrusters came back to life, but the _Aegis_ held strongly, partially for Kira's sake.

-0-

"_Please,_" Kira stopped struggling, hearing the somberness Athrun carried in his voice. "_I don't want to lose you to this war, too. I lost my mother in the Bloody Valentine massacre. I wouldn't be able to live with-_"

From the left field, Mu La Flaga descended on the retreating figures, opening up his gun barrels and unleashing a rain of bullets on the mobile suits. The distraction loosened the _Aegis'_s hold on the _Strike_ allowing Kira to slip through. Just as Kira took off, something jarred him from the back. It was the _Estoc_ in mobile armor form, speeding away with him in tow.

"_Hold on_!" Stella warned.

Kira's eyes widened in fear as he saw the _Aegis,_ the _Blitz_, the _Maul_, the _Duel_, and the _Buster_ turn to give chase from his cameras. Of the five, the _Duel_ scared Kira the most. It sped ahead of everyone, arming its laser rifle and lining up for a shot.

Stella snapped Kira's attention back to his current situation, "_Lieutenant Flaga ordered the _Launcher Striker_ be catapulted. Line up with it and attach it!"_

Stella didn't even warn him when she transformed into MS form and threw him towards the incoming _Launcher Striker_.

She turned and fired several Gathus shots with hopes of dissuading of the _Duel_.

-0-

"Out of my way!" Yzak roared.

He fired a shot at the _Estoc_. The beam nicked the _Estoc_, knocking it out of Yzak's view of the _Strike_. With a smirk, he lined the reticule with his target.

His smile dropped, though, at the sight of the _Aile Striker_ being ejected for another _Striker_, one he remembered seeing Commander Creuset trying to attack. If the _Strike_ were to link up with that system, then they'd all be in danger!

"Take this!" Yzak snarled, pressing the trigger and firing a high-speed missile from his rifle. He watched with satisfaction as the projectile sped towards the _Strike_. After what seemed like an eternity, it finally struck its target, leaving only a cloud of debris.

Yzak grimaced. "Did I get it?"

Shiho's scream chilled his blood. "_GET OUT THERE!"_

The smoke parted in a halo as a blast of red/blue energy rocketed towards him. He could only react with widened eyes, but before death clasped his soul the _Siege_ shoved him out of the way, losing a leg in the process. The two suits quickly retreated as several more blasts pot-shot their direction, following closely behind the others as they weaved through the rain of high-powered beams.

-0-

Murrue saw an opening to escape as they approached closer to the Vesalius. Lieutenant Flaga's _Mobius_ unit wasn't the most powerful of the bunch, but it sure raised hell with the enemy ship. With enough speed, they'd be able to escape to Artemis.

But Ramius wasn't comfortable enough to take it _yet_. The Vesalius was still far from limping; although they were moving away from the battle, she wanted to be sure they didn't follow.

"Prepare the Lohengrin!" Murrue ordered.

"On it!" Natarle yelled.

Outside the ship, the massive guns appeared from the legs of the Archangel. Light condensed inside the cannons until they were at maximum power.

"Send out a warning to all of our G-Weapons to clear the field!" Murrue said.

She watched as the Vesalius began to pull away. The Lohengrin wouldn't get a direct hit, but they'd at least graze the enemy ship. Only then would Murrue consider the Vesalius limping, and therefore easy to escape.

"Fire!" she shouted.

The crew watched the as the cannons lit up, sending twin beams of charged particles towards the enemy ship. Just as Murrue predicted, only one beam struck the Vesalius's starboard side, causing damage to the left side of the ship and disabling half their engines. She could almost hear the enemy ship groan in pain as debris flew from the damage.

It was a tedious second as they passed their crippled enemy. Only after they circumvented the enemy ship did Murrue allow herself to recline in the captain's seat. A smile tugged her lips as she heard the crew celebrating their small victory.

"_It seems we continue to live," _Mu's voice resounded through the intercom. The crew listened intently. "_Not bad at all_."

"Are all the pilots okay?" questioned Murrue.

A sigh came through. "_Yeah, we're all okay_._ We're currently in the middle of docking. We'll see you guys here in a couple of minutes._"

Several breaths being held by the college students were released after hearing of Kira coming through alive.

Natarle herself was mildly impressed. A ragtag group of civilians, mechanics, and professional soldiers came through a harsh battle against a ZAFT ace and his entourage of elite pilots with only mild damage.

She briefly wondered if there was a higher power that liked them.

-0-

"Hey, what's going on?" Mayu asked as she floated towards the mechanics surrounding the _Strike'_s cockpit.

Murdoch sighed. "It's Yamato. He won't come out of his suit."

"He must be shaken up," Mu interrupted, garnering their attention. "Don't worry, I got this."

The lieutenant pushed past the workers towards the _Strike's _cockpit.

"Hey, Mayu!"

Said girl turned to find Shinn floating towards her from the _Raid_, Stella not far behind.

"I was worried!" Mayu gave her brother a hug. "Nothing's wrong, right?"

"A little shaken," Shinn corrected, pulling out of the hug, "but I'm pretty good, over all. Stella saved me."

The younger Asuka offered the child-soldier a smile. "Thanks. My brother can be an idiot, so he needs someone to watch his back."

Unsure of how to reply, Stella simply nodded –people always accepted a nod for some odd reason.

The three turned to watch as Kira and Mu crawled out the _Strike_. Kira was noticeably sweating and breathing hard. Mu offered the boy a pat on the back as the two joined the Asuka siblings and Stella.

"Good job," he told them. "We made it out of this mission in one piece. Stella, Shinn, you both displayed some seriously good teamwork watching each others' backs out there. Keep it up. Kira, you sent them packing; if you hadn't scared them, they would've done some damage towards the end."

Kira heaved a sigh, remembering his encounter with Athrun. He'd been so useless in that last fight, all because he couldn't pull the trigger…

"Listen," Mu said, garnering their attention anew. "We're about to enter Eurasian territory. You guys might wanna think about putting locks on the suits, including the _Reach_ if you have time. Just in case, you know?"

-0-

"You could've killed him!" Yzak roared, grabbing Athrun by the collar and slamming him into the wall. "Why didn't you!"

Athrun remained impassive, taking the boy's anger in stride. It only served to enrage Yzak more.

Rusty held a hand to his face as he floated just outside the group. As much as he wanted to help Athrun, the redhead didn't feel like dealing with Yzak's temper. Like the others, the battle was draining–he wanted nothing more than to take a nap and relax – otherwise, he'd might've been more willing to help a friend in need.

"I have to agree with Yzak," Shiho chose that moment to speak up, wearing her own scowl. "Your battle with the _Strike_ was nowhere near your full capabilities. What made you hesitate?"

"We went out there with _six_ machines!" continued an outraged Yzak. "They had _half_ that number, and we _still_ lost!" To further his point, he jarred Athrun with another shove into the wall.

Dearka joined in. "It's quite the disaster when you think about it. And it was all because you felt the need to disobey orders."

Athrun simply stared back, making no motion that he'd spill the beans. Knowing he wasn't getting anything out of Zala, Yzak prepped a fist for a punch. Seeing the human firecracker preparing to harm his friend, Rusty readied to intervene.

Nicol finally walked in. At the sight of Shiho, Dearka, and Yzak ganging up on Athrun (with the latter of three preparing a punch), Nicol intervened. "What're you guys doing! This isn't the place for this!"

The three turned to the newcomer. Yzak turned a glare onto Nicol, but the youngest member of their group didn't back down. With the utmost reluctance, Yzak gave Athrun one last shove and floated to his room to vent his anger. Shiho sighed and followed Yzak's example, heading to her personal room. Dearka followed behind the duo.

Nicol turned towards Athrun, giving him a saddened look. "I don't know why you hesitated, but please be careful anyways." On that note, the musician left the room.

After a minute, Rusty finally spoke up, lowering the hand on his face. "Well, at least Nicol was on your side."

With nobody to watch, Athrun's countenance darkened. The battle went everywhere but where he wanted. Kira didn't come with them, and in the process they almost lost two pilots. Maybe he should've listened to orders…

Watching as Zala steeped deeper and deeper into depression, Rusty sighed. It looked as if his friend's hopes were too high; Mackenzie had expected this outcome from the beginnning, but he wouldn't voice it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rusty solicited, floating to a nearby fridge and pulling out a pair of drinks.

He deftly tossed one to Athrun and watched his friend catch it without turning his head. Athrun took a light drink and demurely seated himself on the bench.

After a minute, he finally spoke: "He… wouldn't listen." His expression turned even darker. "No matter what I said, Kira _wouldn't_ listen."

Rusty listened intently. Hearing his friend go silent, the redhead took a large swig. With a satisfied sigh, he joined Athrun on the seat. Rusty slurped the last of his drink and left the empty container in the air.

Finally revitalized with the sugar running through his system, Rusty turned back to Athrun. "Look, do you still have hope we might be able to capture him?"

The navy-haired youth remained silent for a moment. "I don't know. He won't come with us, not without somebody dragging him."

"Then that's what we're going to do," said Rusty, standing up. "If I have to, I'll help you drag him back. There's always another time… if the others don't see fit to kill Kira before that."

Athrun's frown slowly shifted into a small smile. "Thanks."

Rusty shrugged. "Hey, what're friends for?"

_Author's Note:_ I'm not kidding when I say I had fun writing this chapter. Of all the battles in the SEED universe, this one was without a doubt my favorite.

For some odd reason, most of the early battles I really liked. It might be because all of the later battles start to become redundant. I remember them repeating certain scenes, so it really bugged me; I think that's why.

Stella and Shinn's machines work well together. Although a high maneuver unit, the Estoc has weaponry suited for longer range combat; the Raid is primarily limited to close-range combat. I imagine that with enough time, the two will be able to work really well together.

The full capabilities of the Siege won't be reached for several chapters. But I've got data on it, so feast your eyes.

_**Archangel Mobile Weapon Database:**_

**GAT-X209 Siege  
****Model Number**: GAT-X209  
**Code Name:** Siege  
**Manufacturer**: Morgenroete, Inc.  
**Operator:** ZAFT  
**Current Pilot**: Unknown [Coordinator, ZAFT]

**Head Height**: 17.89 meters  
**Standard Weight**: 79.63 MT  
**Accommodations**: Pilot only, standard torso cockpit  
**Powerplant**: Ultracompact Energy Battery  
**Armor**: Phase-Shift Armor  
**Role**: Electronic Countermeasure

**Standard Armament**: X2 30mm Energy Beam Pistol, X2 Beam Saber, X2 234mm 4 Barrel Missile Pod [X8 'Anemone' EM Plasma Missiles]

**Special Equipment and Features**: 'Lachrymose' High-Output ECM System

**Notes**: An oddity among the original ten suits built by Morgenroete, Inc. The Siege was developed with defense being its primary role. It even uses a specialized '200' frame so that it doesn't fall victim to its own devices. Because of this, it's a priority target in combat; otherwise, battles will become long, drawn-out affairs.

The most notable equipment is the Lachrymose jamming equipment. This is used to disrupt radar and communications making most radar guided weaponry nigh useless; it can also use this equipment to aid allies by rendering oncoming missiles useless and disrupting weaponry. It works by lightly releasing electrically charged cobalt into the air. Should the situation become dangerous, the Siege can release all of its cobalt stores, creating a cloud of electromagnetic energies for a long enough period of time to retreat, rendering even infra-red useless; this is a double-sword, though, as the cloud also affects allies.

The Lachrymose system is mounted in the two long, triangular wings on the back and in the large side skirts. The missile launchers are mounted in the shoulders and house the 'Anemone' missiles, highly dangerous weapons capable of rendering enemy mobile weapons vulnerable for a short period of time; they've also been shown to disrupt operation systems. Their range, though, is sadly quite short. They work by releasing high-charged cobalt into a small cloud –research is being done to find other uses for utilizing the electromagnetic-based weaponry. Other weapons included twin beam pistols and beam sabers.

Pilot data is unavailable.

_**Database requires further updates. Signing off.**_

Once again, I'm surprised that SEED never dipped its hands into ECM warfare. It's a fundamental concept used by all factions of the military in the world. Depending on its ability, it can function in a variety of ways. Though, it could be said that the Mirage Colloid falls into that category, but I digress. I used cobalt of all things because it's known to maintain a small charge for a short period of time; it's used in certain nuclear warheads to create what's known as a 'salted' bomb because it conducts radiation for an extended duration; it's used to render a place uninhabitable via radiation poisoning. If it's magnetized long enough, cobalt also becomes magnetic itself. It's also a lighter element than nickel or iron which makes it easier to carry.

Design wise, this one is one of my most original. It's basic, but not enough so that it's uninteresting. Because it uses the same frame as the Blitz, they do look similar but not by much. Actually, Siege is more related to Gundam Throne Drei, but that's an off comparison – besides one notable ability. Of the ten starting units this one is my favorite.


	6. Phase 6: Mirage

"This… This is a summons for a direct appearance before the council!" muttered Ades in shock.

"Somebody is in trouble!" Rusty happily sing-sanged as he downed a mouthful of water. "I wonder whose head they want," he went on sarcastically.

Athrun floated not far from the troublemaker of the group. Unlike Rusty, though, Athrun wore a frown. He didn't like the sounds of this.

Rau Le Creuset ignored the redhead as he read the letter on the ship's screen. "I'm afraid this is something I can't ignore. The Vesalius will return to the PLANTs so that we can give a report. Not only that, I'll have to reassure them that our attack on Heliopolis was justified."

"But we have them trapped!" Ades tried to persuade. "If we leave now, they'll…"

"I didn't say the Gamow will be joining us," Creuset interrupted. "They'll stay behind and watch the legged ship."

Ades sighed, but acknowledged the order, despite his unwillingness to.

Even if the Gamow had four of the experimental mobile suits, he wasn't sure they'd be able to handle such an opponent. The legged ship was armed to the teeth _and_ beyond. That wasn't including the three suits held within its hanger, which were dangerous alone.

Rau turned to Athrun and Rusty. "You two will need to appear before the council. Of the six of you, both of you had the most contact with the enemy suits. I'll have Shiho prepare what data we have on the enemy suits –I hear she even has some data on a tenth mobile suit."

Rusty groaned. "You've gotta be kidding!"

"Sir," Athrun acknowledged.

"I'll expect both of you to be on your best behavior," Rau pointedly looked at Rusty, who rolled his eyes.

The problem child of the team scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get the hint. No running off my mouth; no rude gestures… Need I continue?"

"Good," Rau said, floating towards his room. "Get prepared for our return," he added from over his shoulder.

Once his commander was out of earshot, Rusty turned towards Athrun. "I hate bigwigs, especially one Patrick Zala. You know, one of these days I'd love to give your dad the bird. As a matter of fact, it's number three on my 'things-I-want-to-accomplish-in-my-life' list, alongside declaring war on the world and then saving it."

Zala ran a hand across his face. "Please, Rusty, don't be an idiot. Commander Creuset would have our heads if you did something stupid like that."

Among the six redcoats, Athrun and Rusty were the most gifted. Both had reputations as far reaching as their skills. Athrun was the pick of the crop, respectful, and a beacon of hope for the PLANTs; Rusty, although almost as skilled as Athrun, was belligerent and rebellious. Only Rau Le Creuset had the patience to take Mackenzie into his squad, though Athrun shown he was capable of keeping the redhead in line.

Rusty stretched, popping some kinks out of his back. "Well, I better get packed."

-0-

The moment they docked with Artemis, Murrue could feel her stomach twisting. She didn't like it. The last time this happened, six MSs were stolen and Heliopolis disappeared from the map.

When the bridge doors opened, she stood towards the entrance. Soldiers stormed into the bridge with rifles at the ready.

"What the hell?" cried a confused Tolle.

Everyone quickly stood, realizing they were being taken captive. In a matter of seconds, the entire bridge crew was being held at gunpoint. Murrue herself was now staring down a pair of gun barrels, as was Natarle –it was probably because they were the highest ranking officers on the bridge that they had the most weapons aimed at them.

-0-

"At least we can have a break now," Shinn tiredly muttered as his head lolled.

"Yeah, it's been pretty stressful," Mayu sighed, resting her chin against her folded arms.

Stella sat next Mayu, a popsicle dangling between her lips –she didn't know cold foods tasted so good! The base never had anything like it!

To relax after the day's events, the pilots found themselves unwinding in the lounge.

Kira sat across from Stella, leaning his head on his hand. His exhaustion was finally catching up, but he was still shaken. A daring battle followed by a desperate escape from enemy clutches would wind anyone up. It'd take another hour or two before he could finally settle down and catch some Zs.

He couldn't agree more with Shinn's statement. Ever since Kira made the mistake of walking into Morgenroete it was battle after battle with no end in sight. Shinn and Stella must've felt the same since Shinn looked on the verge of passing out and Stella had bags developing under her eyes. Even Mayu wasn't spared the emotional rollercoaster. Finally, after what seemed like days, they weren't being harassed by ZAFT soldiers.

Kira's face sobered, images of his meetings with Athrun going through his head. Zala's pleading voice rang loud and clearly through Kira's mind like a metronome, switching between his encounters in Heliopolis before and after its destruction.

How did everything end up like _this_?

The Coordinator raised his head up as he heard a commotion towards the entrance of the cafeteria. His sensitive ears picked up yelling.

"What now?" Shinn asked no one in particular, turning his head towards the entrance.

The answer came in the form of a pair of soldiers entering the lounge, each with a gun raised. Shinn eyed them –both of them Eurasian soldiers – with a confused gaze.

Stella tensed and fingered her hidden knife as the soldiers explained that they were now 'guests' of Artemis.

-0-

Ramius was far from pleased. "What the hell is this?" she shouted in outrage.

"I'd advise you to remain silent for the moment," the reply came as a higher ranked officer walked onto the bridge, his hands folded behind his back.

Natarle, unlike her captain, felt there was a perfectly explainable answer to the dilemma. "Lieutenant Commander Bidolf, I request an explanation for these actions. I assure you we're-"

"I'm only locking down the ships controls and fire control systems as a precaution," Bidolf interrupted. Natarle opened her mouth, but the strange-haired lieutenant went on. "Remember, this is a military facility and a war is currently going on around us; we're only taking the necessary precautions for our safety."

"But-" Natarle tried to once more to intervene.

Bidolf wouldn't have any of it. "Your ship isn't recorded in the registry. We have no identification, and therefore we can't determine whether or not you're friendly. The fact we haven't commandeered the ship yet is a token of our hospitality, especially with the circumstances that have landed you here. Please, keep that in mind during your stay."

Badgiruel had to do everything in her power to restrain a growl.

* * *

The walk to the commander's office was one of silence and aggravation. Being the highest ranking officers on the Archangel, Murrue and Mu were being escorted by Bidolf and a pair of guards to meet the commander himself, and neither was in a pleasant mood.

It seemed like an eternity before they finally stood at the double doors leading into the office. One of the guards opened a door, allowing the group to step forward. Murrue and Mu saw the commander turn in his seat to greet them.

"Well, this is quite the surprise," he said as he stood, prompting the pair of lieutenants to salute. "I'm Rear Admiral Garcia, the commander of this humble base."

"Lieutenant Murrue Ramius," she said, introducing herself per protocol.

"Lieutenant Mu La Flaga," Mu followed suit.

"Well, well, well," Garcia noted Mu with an appraising eye. "I'm surprised to find the Hawk of Endymion here of all places. Your destruction of those five GINNs was most impressive at the Grimaldi Front. We may have lost that battle, but your display of bravery was a necessary morale booster."

"Eh… thank you. I was just doing my job," Mu said, not feeling flattered by the admiral's words.

Murrue didn't like the man at all. Garcia had every mark of a leader that played more politics than military, doing nothing but sitting his fat ass in his comfortable chair without any worries –he sure had the gut to go with it.

"But enough with the trivialities," Garcia announced, moving the conversation onwards. "What brings you to Artemis of all places?"

"We need supplies," Murrue politely answered. "Heliopolis was destroyed, so we couldn't load the ship with food or water before we were forced to launch."

"I also imagine it's for protection from those ZAFT forces just outside the umbrella," Garcia butted in.

The only sign of Murrue's aggravation was her frown. Mu sighed, practically sensing it rolling off of her –this was quickly becoming rocky, and it didn't look like it was going to get better. It didn't surprise him that she was trying to be quiet about the technologies onboard the Archangel.

"We watched the battle," the fat commander explained. "It was most impressive. Those three mobiles suits we saw fending off ZAFT were above and beyond what we were expecting. Anyways… We hope your stay here at Artemis is pleasant. You are dismissed."

"Sir," Murrue interrupted, "about the umbrella…"

"Ah, yes. I figured you'd ask something about it," he pulled out a remote and pointed it towards a screen, revealing a green ZAFT ship. "They've been camping just outside the umbrella, but let me assure you that there isn't any way to get past it."

"Are you hundred percent sure?" Mu asked, frowning even more deeply than Murrue.

Garcia laughed, as if listening to a question a doubting child might ask. "Trust me. We're as safe as an infant in its mother's arms."

_That doesn't mean she won't drop the infant,_ Murrue thought morbidly to herself

-0-

"What a boring invention!" Dearka noted as Zelman finished explaining the specs about the lightwave shield surrounding Artemis.

Shiho chose that moment to rejoin the group. "What's a boring invention?"

Yzak rolled his eyes. "He's talking about the shield around Artemis."

"Oh," she bit off a piece from the ration in her hand. "It's actually quite the marvel when you think about it. Then again, the only reason nobody has anything capable of piercing the shield is because Artemis is in such a random spot in space."

"You know, it's not very ladylike to talk while your mouth is full," Yzak jested, smirking all the while.

Shiho was about to make a quip at the white-haired teen's own manners until Zelman interrupted: "Hey, people, focus on the task at hand! We need to run them out before Creuset returns. By the way, did you finish up the info on the mobile suits?"

The female of the group nodded her head and swallowed her food. "I got all of it sent to the Vesalius for Creuset's presentation… at least, all that we have. Most of the information I got was derived from our machines' databases, and there's no telling if there's more weapons meant for the _Strike_."

"Yeah, what _does_ that last Gundam do?" Dearka questioned as he crossed his arms.

Shiho frowned, taking another bite out of her food and swallowing it. "From what I've gotten, it's a scouting/long-range unit. I can't tell you the exact specs, though, since our information was so screwed up."

"This entire mission was a screw-up," interjected Yzak grimacing. "First, our information was wrong –there were nine-and-a-half units and only six of us. Then three of the suits got away before we could destroy them, and the last one is buried God-knows-where. Not only that, they escaped!"

"Not quite yet," Nicol said, bringing silence to the room –it was the first time he talked since their discussion began. "I might have a way to get past the umbrella."

-0-

Bidolf walked into Garcia's office, wearing a deep scowl. Not long after entering did the Rear Admiral turn to greet him from his chair. As usual, the second-in-command saluted.

"So, how are things progressing with the G-weapons?" Garcia eagerly asked.

The admiral's smile slipped as Bidolf hesitated.

"There are…" the weird-haired commander carefully chose his words "…_complications._"

"What kind of _complications_?" Garcia bitingly asked, narrowing his eyes.

"The three active machines have powerful lock systems in place. With enough time, we'll be able to break the _Raid, Reach, and Estoc's_ locks, but even that will take a week. The _Strike_, though… every time we try something, we get countered by a computer virus or a new firewall. At our current rate, it will take… five months to unlock all three machines."

Garcia's mouth almost dropped. "What? Who the hell could design defenses like that?"

"We have no clue," Bidolf answered, his own scowl becoming deeper. "The first two could be broken by a Coordinator if given enough time. The _Strike's,_ however, is so advance that even some Coordinators couldn't hope to break it."

Garcia went quiet. His eyes scanned his desk as he thought of some way to get past the defenses set into the G-weapons' computer systems.

"Do you have any ideas on who the pilots might be?" Garcia asked.

"I'm afraid not."

"Well then, let's find them," Garcia suggested, smiling devilishly.

As he stood, a voice on the intercom echoed through the room. "_Garcia, sir, the ZAFT ship is now leaving the area. It should be gone in a matter of a half hour."_

Garcia pressed a finger to a button. "About time. Go ahead and lower the umbrella; they must've given up trying to get past our defenses."

The admiral didn't have a clue that he hammered the last nail into his coffin with that simple order.

-0-

A fair distance away from the Artemis base, four youths in a ZAFT ship smiled, smirked, and grinned as they watched their plan working before their very eyes.

"Alright," Shiho began, "Nicol, you know what to do."

Nicol smiled wirily as he turned to suit up.

-0-

"I thought the Atlantic Federation and Eurasia were allies," Flay thought aloud as she sat next to Sai.

"Truthfully," Arnold said, garnering the table's attention, "although Eurasia and the Atlantic Federation are allies, they're also very competitive."

"So, the latest and greatest of Atlantic Federation's technology lands on the doorstep," Shinn summed up, "and they're over it like a bunch of vultures."

"That's about right."

"What a bunch of idiots," Shinn summed. "Shouldn't they, I don't know, be working together or something?"

Nobody answered. Only Stella's happy humming broke the silence.

The cafeteria went silent as several Eurasian officers walked in, one of them Stella immediately pegged as the _fine_ leader of Artemis –many officers she'd seen were always fat; she could never figure out why. Several soldiers surrounded the large group of makeshift officers, mechanics, and civilians.

"Does anybody here know who the pilots of the mobile suits are?" Garcia asked, expecting someone to answer quickly.

Kira made the move to stand, but was stopped as Murdoch shoved him back into seat. The mechanic pointedly looked at Shinn and Stella, hoping both would take the hint and not reveal anything. Shinn didn't move, but was glaring warheads at Garcia's head; Stella noticed Murdoch's look but then turned back towards the scene, maintaining her quiet (if always curious and easily distracted) demeanor.

At least these two had _some_ common sense, unlike the untactful one Murdoch was keeping still.

"Well?" Garcia pressed.

When everyone remained silent, he sighed as he made a gesture with his hand. Suddenly, the soldiers raised their guns, causing everyone to become alarmed –and noisy, in the case of the civilians.

Kira made another attempt to stand, but Murdoch shoved him back down. He turned towards Shinn to find him looking ready to open his mouth, much to the mechanic's frustration. To his relief, the elder Asuka seemed to think better of it. Stella didn't react –seriously, _how_ could the girl remain so fricken' calm!

They watched as Arnold stood. "It was Lieutenant Ramius, Ensign Badgiruel, and Lieutenant Flaga that piloted the mobile suits. Who else would you think it was?"

Garcia chuckled. "I might've believed that, but you forgot to mention the _Mobius Zero_ unit. The only person capable of piloting that is Mu La Flaga." He knocked aside the crew member.

Garcia snatched Mayu and took her hostage, garnering cries of outrage of varying degrees from the crew.

"Lemme go!" cried Mayu, struggling against his grip.

"Aren't you a little young to be a soldier?" Garcia asked. "You don't look much older than thirteen! You should stop playing dress-up." He turned towards the crew. "Now, tell me who the real pilots are."

Mount Shinn blew sky-high. "Let her go, you bastard!"

Murdoch couldn't react fast enough to keep Shinn from lunging with the same force as an enraged lion –even the ever-wary guards couldn't raise their guns fast enough. The older Asuka moved like liquid lightning towards Garcia, clocking the fat man cleanly in the face and sending the officer careening just outside the door frame while freeing Mayu.

Shinn moved to follow up his rage-filled fist, but Tolle, Sai, Kira, and Murdoch dog-piled the enraged boy. The guards lowered their weapons as they watched Kira pull Shinn into a lock, preventing the younger boy from further causing damage, though the firecracker flailed even when he was lifted off the ground.

While her brother raged, Mayu scampered towards Mirialli, taking cover behind the older girl.

"Lemme go! I'll kick the shit out of him!" Shinn roared.

"Will you calm down!" Kira said, adjusting his grip to keep a tighter hold on the boy. "In case you didn't know, they _do_ have guns!"

It was enough for the volatile boy to calm down as realization dawned that he'd came uncomfortably close to receiving a low caliber bullet through his head.

Garcia tentatively walked back into the room, sporting a bloody nose.

"That's it! Guards-" He started to say.

"Kira, Shinn, and Stella are the pilots. They're Coordinators." Flay's tiny voice was enough to silence everything.

Sai ran a palm across his face. "Flay…"

"That explains a lot," Garcia muttered. "Who are these pilots?"

Before Kira or Shinn could confirm Flay's words, Stella stood and spoke for the first time as she snapped to attention. "Stella Loussier, pilot identification number EX-Y421321. I'll unlock the mobile suits. Don't worry about the others."

Garcia gawked at the young teen that just proclaimed herself a soldier of OMNI.

He wasn't the only one. The older crew members of the Archangel also felt their mouths drop. Like Garcia, they could recognize a bona-fide OMNI identification number when they heard one. It only raised more questions than they were already asking about the strange girl –it was already crazy enough she claimed herself a Natural.

Garcia shook himself out of his shock-induced stupor.

"Come with me," he ordered unsurely, not quite believing his ears.

Stella nodded and followed his wake as the commander strode out of the room, two soldiers following behind.

Shinn calmed enough after Stella left for Kira to let him go without worry of the younger boy blowing a gasket. Both took their respective seats at the table.

"What was that about?" Shinn asked, grimacing at the still-shocked looks painted across the older crew members.

Arnold answered. "Stella… she gave a perfect OMNI pilot identification code."

"In other words," Murdoch continued, "she's a soldier."

* * *

Stella and Garcia stopped in front of the _Raid_, the commander offering it an appraising eye before turning back to the conundrum that claimed to be a soldier.

"Tell me, dear," Garcia began, "why is a Coordinator, such as yourself, fighting against her own kind? Is it money? Is it power? Or is for some rebellious ideal?"

"I'm not a Coordinator," Stella interrupted.

That sent Garcia for a loop. "T-That can't be right! That young lady said all of you were Coordinators!" He calmed down after several minutes of computing the thought. "Then that makes you a Natural, right?"

Stella nodded.

Garcia grimaced. This… wasn't adding up! He'd personally seen the capabilities of these machines. There's no way a Natural could bring out that kind of potential!

He chose a different approach to get answers. "Then, would you mind telling me who exactly you're under?"

She answered without hesitation –just like a professionally trained soldier, Garcia noted. "Atlantic Federation."

"Who within the Atlantic Federation?" Garcia pressed.

Stella hesitated. "Don't know."

"You don't know?"

Stella went deathly silent. Garcia rubbed his pudgy chin in analytical thought.

She wished she knew more details, but all they did was slap the wristwatch/medicine pump around her wrist, give her extra mental conditioning to prevent information leaks, and then threw her at the G-weapon project with simple, discrete orders. Nothing more, nothing less. She was an incomplete weapon, a half-sharpened sword.

Garcia then asked a question that Stella was unprepared to answer. "You're too unnatural to be a Natural –pardon the pun. But, yet you claim to not be a Coordinator. Then what kind of Natural does that make you, _soldier?_" He drew out the last word, almost mockingly.

The Extended shifted uncomfortably. Her eyes shifted, vainly seeking an exit. Briefly, her eyes landed on the empty cockpit as a means of escape, but she squashed the thought. It was unbecoming of a soldier of her status –it didn't change the fact it was _very_ tempting.

She was pinned. Garcia –although fat and incompetent- had _some_ analytical ability, but only if there was something to gain. No lie could grease her out of this one.

"Are you on a mission?" Garcia prodded.

Stella automatically nodded, distracted as she looked for a way out.

"Calm down, dear," Garcia took on a more comforting tone in hopes of keeping Stella on track. "I'm sorry to put you on the spot, but I'm curious to know more about you. It's not very often a Natural has Coordinator-like abilities.

It worked, but only to a degree; panic still looked to be touching her gently.

Maybe he could make use of this girl. If the Atlantic Federation had a project capable of creating soldiers able to match Coordinators, Garcia was sure he could glean something. Being a child soldier, he had an angle to work from.

"Miss," Stella focused on him, hopefully long enough she'd consider his offer, "you know, due to circumstances, I'm sure your mission has become botched. You could even say it's over, and you have the freedom to make your own choices."

Stella was eating every word. _Freedom_… Her _own_ choices… Those were commodities she never tasted until recently. And he was right; her mission was interrupted due to ZAFT's interference.

But it was the _mission_. It _has_ to continue! That's what they always taught?

She was so _confused_!

Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes, Garcia continued with a chuckle. "Are you sure of your place in this world? Well, if you aren't I'm sure we have a place for you in Eurasia. Someone of your caliber and talent, and such a fresh, young face is always welcomed." He patiently waited for her answer.

Freedom… But her mission… What to choose?

In the end, training and conditioning won out, but not without struggle. "No thank you."

Garcia frowned –he lost this one, but he came close. Oh well. At least they'd get the data from these suits.

"Very well," he said. "If you wouldn't mind, would you kindly unlock these machines?"

Stella almost ran from Garcia to the cradle holding the _Estoc_ in hopes of ridding herself of him.

* * *

"I'm really uncomfortable with this…" muttered Nicol as the systems buzzed to life.

Shiho's voice echoed through the com: "_How you feeling?_"

The pianist sighed. "I wish I was elsewhere right now. I mean, I'm think I'm nuts for even suggesting using an untested system like this."

"_That's where I come in_," Shiho replied, being the experimental pilot she was. "_You have about eighty minutes of colloid, so take your time and remain calm. Just remember: in order to use the Mirage Colloid, your PS armor will have to come down; so, once you get inside, reactivate your PS armor and start pounding away –make sure your first target, though, is the lightwave shield generator. Yzak and I will then follow since it's going to come down to a close-quarters battle_."

"I still feel nervous," Nicol said, smiling wirily. "That doesn't change the fact that it's untested."

"_By us at least. I'm sure the Naturals had a lot of fun when they used it; they're the ones that invented it after all._"

"Well, here it goes." No sooner was the _Blitz_ catapulted from the Gamow.

As Nicol flew forward, he took a deep breath and pressed the button. The PS armor fell, but in its place came light-distorting particles. In seconds, the mobile suit was invisible even to the naked eye.

-0-

"What a weird invention," commented Dearka, watching as the _Blitz_ disappeared from sight. "The Naturals can come up with some crazy stuff."

Yzak smirked. "It's a weapon fit for a coward." He was suddenly smacked on the back of his head. "What the…!"

He turned toward the source to find an unpleased Shiho.

"I don't see you risking your ass out there to get past the lightwave shield," she spitefully noted, earning a growl from her squad member.

Dearka sighed, finding himself agreeing with Shiho (which surprised even himself). Until Nicol pulled through, everyone else was useless.

"Alright," Shiho suddenly said, catching both boys' attention. "Yzak, both of us should get ready. It'll take about fifteen minutes for the _Blitz_ to reach Artemis and destroy the shield."

Yzak nodded. Both floated away to suit up.

* * *

…_I'm sure your mission has become botched. You could even say it's over, and you have the freedom to make your own choices_.

Her fingers stalled. Stella stared at the keyboard, though her focus was completely elsewhere. Unable to concentrate, the Extended leaned back in the seat as she rubbed her eyes.

Stella held her hands up to her face, her eyes tracing each callous like a map of everything she endured to this point. Each was a testament to her existence, a piece of a fence that separated her from regular humans, Coordinator or Natural. Neither served to class her existence.

Could she really fit in with regular humans? Was the power to make choices _hers_ now? What about the mission? It couldn't truly be over, could it?

The confusion… It was getting worse. Garcia's words were enough to turn her world on its head.

Could someone make it stop?

Stella clutched her head, tears staining the edges of her eyes.

"Hey, is something wrong?" one of the techies outside the cockpit asked.

Loussier rubbed a sleeve across her eyes. There were times and places for these thoughts. This wasn't it.

"N-Nothing," Stella called back, her fingers once again dancing across the keyboard in a chaotic pattern.

-0-

"I have a bad feeling," Murrue muttered, looking towards a random spot on the ceiling.

"Please don't say stuff like that." Mu shuddered. "Now I've got that same feeling."

"I think you both are acting ridiculous," Natarle started. "I really do think that you aren't giving the lightwave barrier enough credit."

At that moment, the klaxons came alive.

Both Mu and Murrue glared at Natarle, who shrunk under their gazes.

"I have an idea," Mu suddenly said. "Start sounding like we're dying."

Mu began screaming and shouting that they were dying. Murrue quickly caught on and followed his example, except she was screaming something about the room being exposed to space. Natarle looked at both as if they went nuts.

Mu moved to the doorway. Not a minute later, a soldier walked in, and like he planned, the lieutenant swung his fist into the newcomer's gut. Another soldier followed, but Mu was too fast, easily disarming the soldier and knocking him out as well.

"I don't know about you guys," Mu said past the blaring alarms, "but I'm getting out of here."

"Right behind you," Murrue shot back, running with him.

Natarle followed suit, all the while wondering what happened to the nice, peaceful week she planned yesterday.

-0-

Nicol swerved past the enemy fire, easily taking out turrets and missile launchers as he headed towards the lightwave shield generator.

Everything was going smoothly. The infiltration was better than textbook good (hell, he practically _waltzed_ into the place without interruption) and the moment he got past the umbrella's defenses, he activated his PS armor and moved like a bat out of Hell towards the first target.

"There it is," muttered Nicol, finding the shield generator.

The _Blitz_ fired all three of its darts towards the generator, puncturing the device and causing it to explode. Without stopping, the black mobile suit changed course to begin its hunt for the Archangel.

Sparing a glance towards a rearview camera, he could see the Gamow approaching from background while readying to catapult the _Duel_ and the _Raid_.

-0-

The technicians frantically floated away as the _Estoc's_ cockpit closed. Below, the workers scrambled out of the way as the suit pushed past its cradle, walking to the ramp as the paint shifted to white with a static growl.

"What're you doing?" one shouted into the intercom.

"Proceeding to eliminate the threat to the Archangel," conveyed Stella emotionlessly.

She tuned out the protests of the techies as she stepped onto the catapult. Knowing, the catapult wouldn't help, the _Estoc_ began running to the outside. Stella slowed as the sounds of chaos reached her. Undaunted, her foot readied to pound the pedal.

_Are you sure of your place in this world?_

Her emotions flared. The tips of her toes caressing the pedal hesitated.

It cost her. Alarms screamed into Stella's ears. The _Blitz_, seeing the opened catapult, dived at the _Estoc_, taking a chance to destroy one of the four escaped machines. Squashing her emotional issues, Stella reacted instantly; the white suit dove away from the _Blitz's_ dive-bombing, barely missing the beam saber that cut into the side of the catapult. She lured the suit away from the Archangel, all the while analyzing her combat situation.

The interior of Artemis… This was going to boil down a close-quarters battle, a role that the _Estoc_ wasn't outfitted for. But Stella was never one to complain.

She flashed out the Gathus submachine guns, attempting to gun down the _Blitz_. The black suit dodged, the bullets trailing its form and tearing into the steel walls, debris clouding up the area and floating aimlessly into the air. Stella trailed after the suit with her guns, but the _Blitz_ stopped and took the hits with its Trikeros, firing its Gleipnir in retaliation. The _Estoc _rolled around the attack, its wings folding over its shoulders and splitting down the middle.

She didn't even bother to use the reticule; Stella fired beam after beam of concentrated energy at the _Blitz_, a trail of explosions rocking the ZAFT suit's wake.

Stella didn't realize her mistake until after she pulled the trigger. The bright beam of energy shot past the _Blitz_, instead blasting the command room. To her horror, she watched it explode, taking Garcia and the operatives with it.

_I… I just…_ Shock coursed through her body.

Klaxons came alive, diverting Stella from her distress. She automatically dove to the side, missing the Gleipnir.

Just as she moved to retaliate, the Archangel's Igellstellungs came to life, raining bullets at the _Blitz_. The dark suit weaved through the steel rain, retreating to get some breathing room. An explosion resounded, blocking Stella's view of the enemy unit.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Stella retreated into the Archangel, the catapult door closing as she did.

-0-

The Archangel sped past a large explosion, daringly escaping the Artemis base. As the ship got away from the base one last explosion resounded, ripping apart the asteroid and covering their escape from the Gamow.

_Author's Note:_ The Artemis incident isn't one of my favorite scenes to write. I don't know why. It's just one of those chapters.

Though I hated this chapter, I did give Stella some good character development. I hated Garcia, but he proved useful in a multitude of ways. Now, Stella is questioning everything, which sets the stage for later chapters. This is important, especially in the latter half of the story.

Of the characters, I have the most fun writing about Stella.

As far as character development for everyone else, Kira will evolve as the story progresses; Shinn will slowly grow early on, but during certain events, his development will spike. I'm still working on Mu; compared other stories, he's an integral part of the Seed a Barren Sky storyline, so we'll see a lot him and his interactions.

Next chapter will predominately revolve around character development for the Archangel characters and the fallout of the Artemis incident. Rusty and Athrun will be appearing before the council and additions to the LeCrueset Team will be made.


	7. Phase 7: Antisaint

Not even five hours since the incident at Artemis, Mu's thoughts were wildly abuzz like a chaotic beehive. A grimaced marred his face as he mentally traced over everything Murdoch shared about one Stella Loussier.

It'd been shocking to know she was Natural; it was another thing entirely hearing that she was a bona-fide soldier of OMNI. Dots were lining up, but Mu barely followed. Somehow, he felt the answers were dangling there, just waiting to be snatched, but every time Stella revealed new information everything got more complicated!

Questions, questions, and _more_ questions! It was frustrating!

Currently, the ace was walking towards the captain's quarters to share the revelations. If he'd been less than desperate to get this off his mind, he would've left Murrue alone to sleep. However, the implications of Stella's status _needed_ to be addressed. If Mu's theories were correct, this might suggest that Halberton wasn't the only one with a pet project.

Mu rapped the door several times. Silence greeted him. Unsatisfied, he knocked harder. Several muffled cuss words later, Murrue opened the door, still in her pajamas and very unhappy.

"I'll have you know that I was sleeping nicely until you came," she bitingly said. "This had _better_ be important."

"You know how we've had nothing but questions about Stella since everything started?" Mu said. "Something came up."

Murrue immediately switched into business mode. "What happened?"

Ever since Heliopolis, Ramius tried time and again to unravel the puzzle with no success. Only circles traced what little headway she made. Stella's status prevented Murrue from resting easy. It bugged the captain not knowing about the younger girl's circumstances and what landed her in the factory that fateful day.

"There was an incident at Artemis. Garcia was trying to get into the mobile suits' databases, but had little success. So, he went looking for the pilots to unlock the machines. After a mess, Stella announced that she was a member of the Earth Alliance –she even voiced off a perfect identification code."

Ramius' eyes widened. "You're kidding me!"

"I wish I was. Here's the kicker: the identification code brought up a blank file. You do know what kinds of people have blank files, right?"

"…People that aren't supposed to exist."

Murrue held a hand to her chin in thought. Now they were getting somewhere. However, the insinuations of a blank file didn't sit well.

"If we need information on a nobody, how do we get it?" she questioned aloud.

"Two ways," Mu answered. "One is to ask Stella. But I doubt she'll be willing to share anything –nobodies don't like to talk. But then there's option two… if we're lucky."

"What do you mean?"

Mu frowned. "Stella identified herself as a pilot of all things. Think about it for a minute. A Natural girl barely into her teens capable of rewriting an OS and claiming to be a soldier is found on Heliopolis where experimental machines are with comparatively crappy pilots. Add two and two together."

Ramius' mouth dropped. "You mean to tell me…! No, t-that… that doesn't…"

"I know," Mu continued. "But if I'm correct, there's a possibility that a hard-copy file is somewhere on board this ship –if Reese knew beforehand. There's no way they'd assign her here without _some_ information. If we find that file…"

"…We'll learn everything about Stella."

-0-

Shinn, Mayu, and the others disappeared to the dream-filled sanctuary of their beds. Not Kira. Still wired from multiple adrenaline highs, Kira holed up in the _Strike_ and made minor adjustments to the OS to pass several hours of insomnia. Hopefully, the _Strike_ was ready to use the _Supplice Striker_, or the _Glint Striker _when it'd be completed.

Kira stopped to rub the bags under his eyes. His sight more focused, Yamato switched out the _Strike's_ OS for the _Estoc's_.

Besides making adjustments to his own OS, Kira also began work on a proto Natural-friendly OS, as per Mu's request. Initially, he hadn't been fond of the idea (wasn't it already bad enough that he was piloting the thrice damned _Strike_?). However, reminding himself that his friends and numerous civilians were onboard the Archangel, he accepted it… albeit, with much reluctance.

Despite its advanced nature, Stella's custom OS was very watered down compared to Kira's overkill-level system and just under Mayu's basic Coordinator OS. If there was a place to begin, it was there.

"Where should I start?" he murmured, typing at several keys while overlooking several windows of data simultaneously. _First off, I need to remove the _Estoc's_ custom settings –the _Reach_ won't need a transformation system, or a high speed automatic stabilizer. On top of that, I'll need to switch out the weapon configurations and movement protocols for settings suitable for the _Reach_. After that, I think I could adjust the vacuum tubes… Yeah, I think that's a good start._

Analyzing Stella's OS, Kira sketched several theories.

Vacuum tubes are a necessity on any mobile suit, carrying messages to the limbs from the cockpit identically to nerves transmitting messages to muscles.

Theoretically, Natural-level machines required more VT while Coordinators needed less; because Natural's had slower reaction times, the higher number could better transmit orders to the machine. But should a Coordinator climb into a Natural's cockpit they'd destroy the machine by sending too many messages into the tubes –they're surprisingly fragile.

The vacuum tubes of Gundams were apparently fundamentally different from ZAFT's mass-produced suits. Gundam VT had qualities that were rather unique all on their own; stronger materials and a different tempering process that creates durable VT capable of varying the information transfer, meaning possible use by either Naturals or Coordinators.

Twenty-minutes later, Kira proved his theory. "I see… This'll- Oh, come on!"

… And it wasn't just the vacuum tubes. Evidently, several other systems still needed adjustments.

"I'll give up for the moment…" Yamato murmured, feeling several days' worth of fatigue catching up –besides napping before Heliopolis's destruction, Kira hadn't slept.

Despite the roadblock, he felt satisfied. In mere minutes, he was closer to performing the miracle that the Naturals' desperately sought since mobile suits first rolled off the assembly line.

Pushing off the seat and gliding out of the cockpit, Kira caught the railing. With a sigh, he turned to admire the _Strike_, drab and silent as it slept within its cradle. Such a powerful weapon…

Amidst the background noise of engineers and clanking tools, a tiny sound caressed Kira's sensitive ears. Frowning, his head swiveled, his eyes searching for the out of place source. Failing to find it, Yamato closed his eyes and focused. Upon further inspection, it sounded almost like…crying. Curious, the Coordinator traced the source, his eyes falling upon the closed cockpit of the _Estoc_.

-0-

"_Where_ the hell _is_ it!" Murrue grumbled, rummaging through the desk like a desperate miner digging for gold. "Any luck on your end?"

"No joy," Mu answered, digging through the shelves.

"Seriously, where would Captain Reese place it?"

They'd been hunting Stella's file for several minutes, but luck wasn't on their side. Contrary to suspicion, every spot thought capable of harboring files lacked their elusive quarry. Oh, there was a plethora of information about the Archangel and mobile suits she was to ferry, but nothing about the pilots. Another five minutes, and Mu would conclude that a hard file never existed, prolonging their agonizing analysis of the young teen.

"Are you sure it's not in the desk?" Mu questioned, turning away from the shelf.

Murrue stood, running a hand through her ruffled hair. "I'm sure; I can't find it here."

"Look harder!" Mu urged. "At this rate, I'll become an insomniac while trying to figure out Sweetheart."

"I know! And I'll become an insomniac too because you won't let me sleep! Wait… I think I found it!"

"Oh, thank God!" Mu sighed as he rushed over to the desk.

Almost reverently, Murrue laid it out on the desk and gingerly opened it. So hurried to see the contents, both bumped heads as they looked down.

"Watch it!" Murrue hissed.

"Sorry!"

Their bearings straight, they tried again while making sure to avoid any concussions.

Frowns painted their faces as they looked over Stella's basic information. First two pages: information they already knew, including her basic information like blood-type, height, weight, etc –Mu was slightly disappointed, having expected something drastic like a list of experiments done to the poor girl.

However, his expectations were met with flying colors upon turning to the third page.

-0-

Confusion gave way to mounting frustration –and even fear. Questions her peers _dared_ not ask saturated her thoughts. Freedom… Was it within her grasp? Could she truly taste its bittersweet flavors? Would the world welcome her, even if it knew of her bloodied hands? What of the mission? Does it _ever_ end?

Pain blossomed within her being, every empty answer tearing her soul asunder. But she couldn't understand it. There were no wounds –no blood. So, why did her heart ache so much?

Stella had tried to hold back the floodgates. They weren't supposed to cry. Training condemned it. Tears _interfered_ with the mission; tears were _weakness_.

Thus to hide her weakness, Stella locked herself in the _Estoc_.

Away from everyone, the tears flowed freely. Like glittering stars, droplets floated through the cockpit, reflecting what little light pervaded the dark space. Each sob was a hymn of despair, a verse that sang of her uselessness as a soldier.

She was useless. She was-

Loussier jumped as the comm. unit sprung to life. "_Stella, are you okay_?"

Kira… How did he…?

"Go away_,"_ she whimpered.

-0-

It'd been quiet enough that no regular human would've heard it over a radio. Kira wasn't a regular human, though.

Pushed by the worry tingeing his emotions, Kira crawled out of the _Strike_ and floated towards the _Estoc_. Using a couple tricks he perfected for… certain situations, the Coordinator began hacking the locks.

Stella may've wanted to be alone, but Kira's conscience wouldn't let him follow the request. She was a teammate, a... friend. They'd fought alongside each other, they escaped Heliopolis arm-in-arm alongside Shinn and Mayu. In his right mind, he couldn't' just let her be, not after all that.

As the cockpit opened, Kira moved to stand in front of it. Droplets of liquid gently floated by, freed from the darkness. Only then did he realize how much she'd been crying.

Inside the confines of the mobile suit, Stella cringed from the light. Suddenly made vulnerable, she curled up, shivering from the nudity she felt.

"Please, leave me alone," she whispered past her knees, a sob escaping.

"Stella…" Kira breathed.

How long had she been in there? How long had she been crying? Questions swarmed through Kira's mind like a crowded aquarium.

Then he remembered the incident at Artemis. Stella had sacrificed her identity for the sake of the other pilots. It must've had a role in her breakdown. Of course, compounding issues could be present; simply, Stella had too many issues on her emotional plate.

Inside, Kira felt gratitude bubbling up. If Garcia had taken him, Shinn or –heaven forbid- Mayu… He didn't have any desire to imagine the consequences. Yamato didn't like the fat bastard then, and he didn't like him now. Though not a violent person, Kira found himself hoping the officer fried with his base.

Current issues returned to the forefront of Kira's mind. Emotional issues, especially with girls, were awkward moments for Kira. To further complicate everything, Stella presented certain challenges; being so whimsical and unpredictable, approaching her while said girl was emotionally unhinged was ill-advised –as Mir learned back at Heliopolis.

Well, she _did_ hug Mu that one time…

Unable to think of any alternatives, Kira floated to Stella and gently placed her in a hug. She flinched from the sudden contact, but whatever retaliation she felt died as the invisible wounds she felt began to ease, like morphine numbing wounds. Shaking like a leaf in the wind, Stella wrapped her arms around Kira, praying for the pain to stay away.

"Feeling better?" Yamato asked, pulling away slightly.

Stella nodded as she sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head.

"Okay… but if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here."

-0-

"You've gotta be…! Those _bastards_!" Mu spat.

Murrue held a hand to her mouth in shock. "Oh my God… How… How could they?"

They expected so many things when they opened the file. However, they never dreamed of the scale of such information. It'd been a proverbial Pandora's Box. Their curiosity so great, they never paid heed to the consequences. Like biting into the cursed apple of Eden, their naivety had been cleaned from their eyes, replaced by knowledge of a darkened world.

"Assassination, sabotage, hacking, piloting…" Mu counted off, everything barely sinking in. "That's quite the resume Sweetheart has. They went the entire mile with her."

"Of all the damn things they could've done, though," Murrue leaned on her woven hands, a scowl marring her face. "Gamma gliphepton…"

"It at least explains her abilities as a pilot," Mu thought aloud. "Although nastier than hell, it does give her Coordinator-like abilities, so as long as she doesn't run out."

"But the symptoms… the withdrawal could kill her." 

Both fell into a silence so tense with emotion that the air was suffocating.

Ramius gazed at the file with revulsion, sickened by the thoughts of such a project. She didn't know what to be angrier at: their liberal use of gamma gliphepton or their dehumanization. By their standards, Stella wasn't even human. She'd been placed in the same category as a computer… or even a weapon.

"I almost wish I didn't call that so well," Mu's words shattered the silence like a pane of glass. "My thoughts about Halberton not being the only one with a project were pretty damn accurate."

"Muruta Azrael…" a bitter taste twisted inside Murrue's mouth as the name scratched past her lips. "I'm not surprised about that racist pig funding this project."

"Same here. I had several other candidates in mind, but none of them are dirtbag enough. Only Azrael has the balls –or the imagination- for something like this."

Silence descended, but Murrue fought it via a question that bothered her since reading the file. "What're we going to tell everyone?"

"…Nothing."

"What?"

"Nothing. They don't need to hear this. If they did, they'll reject her in a heartbeat because they'll become afraid of her."

"What about the Coordinators? Wouldn't they…" Murrue pursed her lips.

Mu sadly frowned. "…I'm not sure. They're the ones I worry about rejecting her. Stella doesn't talk to anyone else but her fellow pilots. Given enough time, I don't doubt she'll warm up to them. But if they suddenly fear her I worry about the consequences."

"Okay, we won't tell anyone." Murrue closed the file and stored it in her desk. "However, I think it prudent that Natarle at the very least know, even if it's downplayed."

"Alright, but no one else for Sweetheart's sake."

-0-

Athrun stared out the window of the shuttle heading to the PLANTs. He comfortably leaned on one hand, admiring the stars as the ship gently passed through the vacuum of space. It was nice to look at the twinkling dots, thinking of times when things seemed so… simple.

He wasn't looking forward to his return the PLANTs. It was going to be fraught with high emotions as he unveiled the available information on the Earth Alliance prototypes. There were no doubts in his mind that there was going to be yelling and arguments. After all, the enemy did create the technology to somehow level the playing field. It was only with luck that they captured six suits, and a stroke of bad luck that they lost four.

A snore interrupted his thoughts. Turning to the source of the offending noise, Athrun found Rusty sitting in a seat across from him in the other aisle. The redhead was leaning back with his mouth propped open, catching Zs.

Athrun sighed. He couldn't figure out how the redhead slept at times like this. His own nerves were frayed from just thinking about meeting with the council.

Their shuttle stopped, rousing Rusty from his slumber.

"I didn't do it…" yawned the redhead as he stretched.

Dazedly, he looked around, suddenly remembering where he was.

Athrun answered the question he knew was coming: "It's almost time for us to climb aboard the shuttle that'll take us to Aprilius One."

"Great," Rusty muttered, stretching out the kinks that developed during his trip.

Both teens grabbed what little they took and followed Rau Le Creuset to their next shuttle. Reaching their intended destination, the passenger compartment of the shuttle leading to Aprilius One opened up. The group stepped through the doorway, greeting themselves to the National Defense Chairman Patrick Zala.

Rau and Athrun were quick to salute, and even the ever rebellious Rusty showed respect.

"National Defense Chairman Zala, we hope you will permit us to accompany you," greeted Le Creuset.

Patrick simply waved them off. "No need for formalities." The man turned his attention to Rusty and Athrun. "Neither of you even saw me on this shuttle. Am I clear?"

"Yes. I understand. It's been awhile… Father." Rusty didn't miss Athrun's change of tone.

All of them took their seats, Athrun sitting behind Rau and Rusty behind Patrick.

"Needless to say, I agree with your opinion," Patrick said, mentally analyzing the information Rau had presented him from earlier. "The problem is the fact that they've developed such advanced mobile suits. We'll forget all about the pilots. I went ahead and deleted that from the report and listed them all as Naturals as we have no way of telling if they're all Coordinators."

Athrun stared at his father in surprise. Concealing such important information from the Council like that was treasonous at the very least!

He turned to Rusty, gauging his reaction. A part of him was relieved that to see the troublemaker stone-faced. Obviously, Rusty didn't think highly of Patrick's covering of the facts, either.

To both of the redcoat's further surprise, Le Creuset agreed. "Thank you very much sir. I was confident that you would make that decision."

"Just think of the reaction if we told them that those machines were being piloted by Coordinators! It would only give the moderate faction something unnecessary to argue about."

"Wouldn't you also find it difficult to have your friend be referred to as someone who has sided to the Earth Forces, due to the report?" asked Commander Le Creuset, turning towards Athrun.

"No, but…" the young Zala couldn't bring forth the words he desired.

"The Naturals created a mobile suit that can perform that well even with a Natural piloting it," his father said. "So that's what we're reporting. Understand?"

Athrun remained silent, but eventually conceded to the knowledge that there wasn't any way he could argue.

"Yes…" he quietly uttered with the utmost reluctance.

"We must be more serious about this. Rau, I want you to hunt down that ship and destroy it!" said Zala.

_How dare you!_ Rusty finally allowed a deep scowl to mar his face as he looked to the backs of the two elders. _Damn you two for betraying the PLANTs! I hope you both burn in Hell!_

-0-

"…I believe you can understand from the course of events you just saw that our actions were not intended as an attack on Heliopolis itself but the result of collateral damage and that the Earth Forces were at fault for the collapse. That concludes my report. Thank you for your attention," explained Rau, saluting the Supreme Council before taking his seat again.

"I wish they'd chew his ass already," Rusty whispered, originally imagining Rau getting court marshaled and dragged away from the scene, but his fantasy wouldn't come to pass. The council had practically bought every last word he spoke, much to his disgust.

Athrun remained silent, unsure of what to make of his father's breaking of regulations. Even if he wanted to speak against his father's actions, all he could do at this point was go with the flow, no matter if he agreed with it or not.

The reactions to the mission varied wildly. Murmurs traveled throughout the meeting as they discussed their opinions with each other, determining whether or not it was necessary that Heliopolis deserved its fate. It was sad to see some of the council members full heartedly agreeing with Le Creuset's decision.

"Commander Le Creuset, are these prototype mobile suits worth all of the sacrifices that have been made by our forces?" asked Patrick Zala, interrupting the council members' arguments.

Rau Le Creuset stood up again. "To explain the new mobile suits and their capabilities to you, I have two of our pilots with me. Both of them piloted two of the new machines and fought against all three of the prototypes remaining within the enemy's hold: Athrun Zala and Rusty Mackenzie. They'll give you the report on these new mobile suits. With your permission of course…"

Siegel Clyne thought about the request, but eventually nodded in acceptance. "I will allow Athrun Zala and Rusty Mackenzie to present their reports."

Both boys stood and saluted and then approached the council. The display screens in the council's tables came to life, showing the first of the new machines: the Aegis.

Athrun chose to speak first. "First, I would like to present this machine known as the Aegis. One major characteristic is its transformation system. GAT-X303, its structural frame is fundamentally different from at least eight of the other models. This allows the machine to transform into a mobile armor. While in this configuration, its main weapon is the 'Scylla', a five-hundred-eighty millimeter multi-phase energy cannon. As with the other machines, it incorporates a system known as Phase-Shift Armor, which we have yet to test properly. At present, we are reprogramming the OS to maximize its potential, and judging from its specs, this machine we believe is superior in both mobility and power to ZAFT's main weapon, the GINN."

The Duel appeared, drawing both its beam sabers.

"GAT-X102 Duel. This machine was developed with close-range combat in mind and has a wide range of uses. It's believed to be the basis of the development of the other nine models. Like the others, it is equipped with the anti-air Vulcan system 'Igelstellung'. The machine carries a beam saber and an anti-beam shield."

Next, the Buster appeared, firing its hyper impulse sniper rifle.

"GAT-X103 Buster. This machine was designed to be capable of long-range artillery attacks. It is believed that its main purpose was to provide covering fire from the rear, and to perform sniper attacks. It is not equipped with a shield. However, it has a three hundred and fifty millimeter gun-launcher, and a high-energy focused beam rifle. By attaching these weapons in different combinations, one can form a hyper impulse long-range sniper rifle, or an anti-armor shotgun."

Then the Blitz appeared as it raised its arm, firing its darts, and then the grappler.

"GAT-X207, the Blitz. This one has a feature called Mirage Colloid, whereby gas particles are released over the armors surface. In the eyes of the enemy, this machine becomes virtually invisible. This makes it effective for search-and-destroy missions. However, one of the drawbacks is that the phase-shift armor cannot be used while the system is activated. It's believed that this model was developed for blitzkrieg warfare. Its primary weapons are the 'Trikeros' and 'Gleipnir'."

The screens changed to a new machine: the Strike as it launched from the legged ship.

"One of the first to get away: designated GAT-X105 Strike. Judging from our encounters with it, we know it to be a machine capable of various types of combat. This model's design allows for it to switch its equipment with modules identified as Launcher, Sword, Aile, and possibly others we have yet to identify."

"We can determine from the image that the Launcher holds a three hundred and twenty millimeter hyper impulse cannon. Our other assumption is that it also has a one hundred and twenty millimeter anti-ship vulcan cannon, as well as two three hundred and fifty millimeter gun-launchers. The Sword module equips it with a fifteen-meter long anti-ship blade, along with a beam boomerang. Aile equips the Strike with a balanced assortment of weaponry while adding high-mobility capabilities. In addition, the machine itself carries two knives in its hip section. It's likely this model has extremely high combat potential."

Taking his cue to speak, Rusty cleared his throat and straightened his posture as the Maul came on the screen, opening all of its machine guns and missile launchers.

"This machine in particular is called the GAT-X104 Maul." It caught Athrun off guard to see Rusty acting so professional. "Of the machines, we believe this one was developed for siege purposes as it has the greatest amount of sheer firepower of the ten machines. Within its array, it has a set of Gatling beam cannon built into the chest, a pair of one hundred and twenty millimeter anti-ship Vulcan gun, a combined shield featuring a six-barreled Gatling beam cannon, a 'Claymore' anti-armor shotgun, and various missile launchers installed in the legs. Of all its weaponry, though, the Maul's strongest weapons are the 'Tarantula' spread missiles, designed to take out a large force of targets in a short amount of time, though it can only carry six at a time."

The screen changed, displaying the Siege as it fired its twin beam pistols.

"This is the last weapon we captured," continued Rusty, "GAT-X209 Siege. We suspect that the Siege was developed as a supporting unit, unlike the other combat-based machines. It carries a relatively basic armament. However, the most outstanding armament is the 'Lachrymose' high-output ECM system; we theorize that it surpasses the N-jammer as a means of radar and communication disruption system, although we've yet to test it in actual combat. It also contains experimental electromagnetic spectrum-based weaponry, also untested."

It was the Raid's turn. The screen showed the navy-blue and white suit's swords swiveling forward as it got into a rough stance.

"GAT-X205 Raid. Unlike the other Earth Alliance suits, we believe this one was built specifically for close-quarter domination. Its anti-armor swords are designed to effectively cut through armor and shields. Mounted in the sword units are rocket anchors used to bring enemies in to effectively cut them down. As of yet, we haven't seen any long-ranged weaponry. It also has micro-thrusters mounted in its legs, giving the Raid incredible agility compared to the other suits, making it highly dangerous in its designated role."

The Raid gave way for the Estoc, displaying the magnificent white suit as it changed into its plane form.

"The GAT-X305 Estoc is the last active suit that we've fought. Like the Aegis, we believe it was designed to be a commanding unit, but unlike any of the other units it's believed to be used more for atmospheric conditions due to the style of its mobile armor form. Its main weapons are two submachine guns built into the wrist. It's most powerful weapon, the twin impulse beam cannon, is of comparable power to the Strike's hyper impulse beam cannon and the Scylla. In mobile armor form, the impulse beam cannons are replaced by powerful missiles."

Before the council could talk amongst themselves, schematics for the Reach appeared on the monitors. "Thanks to Shiho Hahnenfuss, we've confirmed the existence of a tenth suit, designated GAT-X107 Reach. From the weapon schematics, we theorize the Reach to have an attack range even farther than the Buster's, though we have no way of confirming that. Other weapon designs also suggest dependability in closer ranges. Altogether, it might've been a suit designed for scouting. As far as we know, the Reach was the only suit not recovered by either side.

"That is all," both redcoats closed simultaneously before saluting and returning to their respective seats.

"They've actually manufactured these abominations!" said Jeremy Maxwell, the disgust evident in his voice. "Those disgusting Naturals!"

"But they're only in the trial stages. You can hardly consider ten mobile suits a threat," countered Eileen Canaver.

"But if they've come this far, the next step would be to mass-produce!" interrupted Ezalia. "Are we going to allow them the chance to create such monstrosities!"

Gould almost yelled: "This is a clear indication of the Naturals intentions! They crave war, a desire to violence and havoc!"

The comment sparked a massive shouting contest among many of the Council members, forcing Clyne to vainly reestablish order among the currently unruly group.

Then Patrick Zala spoke, gathering everyone's attention. "There is no one who prefers to fight. Who among us actually wants to head out to a battlefield? We want to live peacefully, gracefully, and happily. That has always been our only wish." Zala stood up, his voice becoming louder. "But who so ruthlessly shattered that wish? Who took our freedom away for their own selfish ambitions? Who pushes us aside to better themselves? Who exploits the Coordinators?"

"Who will never let us forget the Bloody Valentine Tragedy? The nightmarish destruction of Junius Seven! 243,721 people. It has been one year since that abominable incident claimed so many of our fellow citizens. Yet we've pondered endlessly to try to end this war quickly. Our demands have been minor. However, the Naturals have put our efforts to waste, time and time again!"

"We fight because it's the only way to protect ourselves. If we must fight to protect ourselves, then we have no choice but to fight!" declared Zala, bringing his speech to an end.

-0-

"You caught me off guard there," Athrun noted as he came up next to Rusty. "I was expecting you to at least throw in a sarcastic comment or two during the explanation, but loll and behold you made a good presentation."

Both stood in front of Evidence-1, the giant whale-like creature with wings set in stone brought back to Earth by the famed George Glenn.

Rusty snorted. "There were too many bigwigs for my taste; I didn't feel like causing too much trouble, and I do have _some_ respect for certain members on the council."

"It looks as if the infamous Rusty Mackenzie has a respectful side," Athrun amusedly pointed out.

"Only on certain days of the week."

Both fell into silence, instead turning to sight of the large fossil.

"You going to visit Lacus?" asked Rusty, still taking in every detail of the whale.

Athrun sighed, his complexion becoming slightly saddened. "I don't think I'm going to get the chance. On top of that, I think she's heading over the remains of Junius Seven for a memorial service –I can't remember exactly."

"Well, that sucks," Rusty commented.

"What about you? Don't you have someone to visit?"

Mackenzie shifted uncomfortably. "Please don't remind me of my lacking love life. It's depressing enough as it is."

Athrun chuckled. "And here I was thinking you were a womanizer with that over-the-top personality of yours."

"Just because I'm not engaged to someone doesn't mean you can laugh it up… asshole."

"What? I thought it was funny."

"… Okay, maybe it's a little funny. And ironic… in a weird way…"

Both went silent as clacking dress shoes and chatter approached, Siegel Clyne's voice barely resounding above the assorted members of the council. Rusty sighed, readying an escape route.

"Hey, I'm not one who deals well with bigwigs," Mackenzie began, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, I'm going to head out, especially before Ezalia Joule finds me –I'm sure she'll want to throttle me for the pranks I pulled on Yzak back at basic."

Athrun chuckled. "Yeah, namely that one time you super-glued his lips shut –I think he's still plotting revenge for that one."

"Hehehe… Yeah, that'll piss anybody off. I'll see you at the _Vesalius_, and I'll pray that the bigwigs don't eat'cha alive."

With a half-hearted wave, Rusty took his leave.

_Author's Note_: Wow, this chapter was a lot of trouble to right. Add in corrupted files, midterms, busy work, and finalizing certain private issues and you'll have made yourself a bitching week. To further my issues, I've rewritten some scenes almost five times now in an attempt to get everything right while setting framework for further chapters. In the end, some of the scenes just left me with a general sense of lacking. Then again, it's a filler chapter detailing damage control; it's natural to feel that way I suppose.

Beyond that, I also took time to finalize certain details about Barren Sky. And a volunteer decided to step up and beta this story. Make sure you give a warm thank-you to Tellimicus. He also proved invaluable to ironing out my story ideas while adding his own two cents.

Okay, Stella and Kira's friendship is now established. Very important, especially in this story. Of course, next chapter we'll see the fruits of Kira's actions here and how Stella was affected. We'll see some Stella/Shinn interaction soon enough. Shinn will have air time next chapter.

Originally, I wanted to bring in certain characters this chapter, but decided against it due to improper timing. However, I've got plans for the next chapter; a little action to wet the lips, a certain pink princess appearing, bad guys' interactions, the Reach making a brief appearance… stuff that'll push the storyline onwards with spice thrown in for good measure.


	8. Phase 8: Sepulcher

Rau Le Creuset dabbled in the underworld of society. It'd be more accurate to say he was born of it. Through its connections, broken taboos and dark tendencies abounded. It was powerful, alluring, and harboring various bounties of knowledge and dealings. But only those with the courage to bite its forbidden fruit can one glean anything. Its roots were great, touching almost every aspect of society. And it was through these connections that Rau had discovered the G-Weapons.

However, Rau didn't embrace it. Not like the man behind the oaken doors Le Creuset stood in front of. Like Dante descended the Inferno and understood its every dynamic, this man had descended into society's underworld. Yet, like a shadow, no one knew how _deeply_ his stained hands touched it.

If any knew this person like Rau, they'd never believe him to be _so_… intimidating.

Like it was a spring-loaded trap, Rau twisted the brass door handle. The hinges sounded almost like a scream amongst the silence as he pushed the door open, entering a brightly lit office. Standing behind his desk, back turned to Rau as he stared out at Aprilius City like a glimmering kingdom, was Gilbert Durandal.

Durandal turned to greet his guest, golden eyes alight. "Ah, Rau La Creuset. Always a pleasure to be graced by the presence of a hero of ZAFT. Please, take a seat."

Rau did as suggested while Gilbert sat behind the desk.

"Tell me, how has your latest mission been?" Durandal enquired as a congenial smile lit his lips.

"One setback after another," Rau answered, though a biting tone faintly twisted his words. "But I imagine you already knew that."

"Patrick Zala, for all his tenacity, loves a good conversation now and then," Gilbert answered. "Sometimes, for advice. Others, just to vent. Either way, his tongue can be loose at times."

"I'd find a way to staple his mouth shut if it weren't for the fact that information always comes to you one way or the other," Creuset mused, though there was no humor. "What is you want Durandal? To torment me? Squeeze out more information? Or all of the above? I warn you, though; my patience has been thin as of late."

"You make it sound as if I'm the most evil thing to crawl out of Tartarus," Gilbert's amusement openly showed.

"I wouldn't question it. After all, you did help Hibiki create that little abomination."

"Indeed, you are testy today," Durandal's smile widened ever so much. "And here am I, with such good tidings."

Creuset raised a brow past his mask. "Really now?"

"Zala mentioned that your opponents this time are above the standard cut, and that you needed pilots –he sounded disgruntled from such a high request, especially with the knowledge that ZAFT is short-handed altogether and your squadron is so large," Rau's facial muscles tightened –he could see where this was going. "After talking with him, I managed to procure a new pilot and even a ship –the _Andoryan_, I believe- for your disposal in your hunt for this legged ship. Not only that, two experimental mobile suits –one for your own personal use- was added to your line-up."

Durandal drew three files from a drawer, gently placing them in front of Rau.

"…It's never that easy when dealing with you," Rau's voice became openly biting. "What's the cost?"

"Cost?" Durandal reclined in his seat. "It's not a high price at all. Just tell me what you know about this… Kira Yamato."

* * *

"Shinn, get your butt over here!" Mayu ordered from the consoles below.

With a grumble, Shinn stuck his head out of the Raid's cockpit. "What?"

"Get down here!"

"I don't wanna!" A screwdriver impacted his forehead. "OW! Okay, I'm coming!"

Grumbling while rubbing his tender forehead (and offhandedly noting Mayu's excellent aim), he ignored the snickers of the engineers as he joined his sister down on the floor below. Curious, Shinn looked over her shoulder, finding data on the Beowulf swords.

"What's up?" he questioned.

After finishing typing, Mayu turned to him. "Remember back at Heliopolis how I said that the OS for the Raid was incomplete?"

He could vaguely recall such a conversation. Mayu had mentioned something about the operational systems being half complete. Something about movement protocols…

"What about it?"

"Well, because we were fighting so much," Mayu explained, "I could never finish it. The only thing finished was the movement protocols, and that was only to beat the GINN. I never got to work on the weapons, which means they've been half effective throughout our fights."

Immediately, Shinn felt a pulse of excitement. If true, this meant the Raid was almost half effective during their past battles. At full combat ability… A grin spread across Shinn's face.

"How have they been half effective?" Shinn asked. "They've worked fine so far."

"Did it ever occur to you why they're called _anti-armor_ solid swords? That's because they're meant to cut through shields and plating that anti-beam weaponry can't."

"Really?" Shinn didn't bother to withhold his surprise.

"Yeah. Beam sabers use condensed photons to flash-heat metal, creating a 'cutting' effect. Beam guns work kind of the same way, except piercing rather than cutting. However, anti-beam coatings dissipate the photons before the heat has a chance to melt anything. To overcome this, the Beowulf utilize an alloy that's superconductive to high temperatures, which allows them to maintain the heat even through the coatings."

"Wow, when did you become such a geek?" Shinn asked, raising a brow.

Mayu pointed at Murdoch who was working diligently on the Reach's minor systems.

"Oh, he taught you," he realized aloud.

The full implications suddenly smacked Shinn's brain with enough force to cause mental whiplash. They had the one Gundam capable of cutting past anti-beam coatings. It was the one mobile suit capable of defeating the stolen Gundams. Oh, he was going to _soooo_ rub this in those ZAFT pilots' faces, via dissection with heat swords.

Now if only he could test them…

-0-

Kira headed from the hangar to the mess hall, Stella happily following. They would've kept working on the Reach's OS, but Stella had requested some food –a necessity Kira skipped that morning.

"Food, food, food!" Stella happily sing-sang as she skipped behind Kira.

Yamato shook his head in amusement.

Ever since her breakdown, Stella hung around Kira like a lost puppy. Kira, for his part, didn't mind. Growing up without siblings, it felt refreshing for Stella to become his unofficial little sister. Loussier even become more talkative, especially around her fellow pilots.

Silence befell the cafeteria as both walked in. All the college students gazed at them with trepidation. Stella shifted uncomfortably –ever since Heliopolis, the stares had started bugging her.

"Uh… Are we interrupting anything?" Kira asked in unsure manner.

"So, what were you doing?" asked Tolle, having long since taken an interest in the mobile suits they piloted.

"I was checking with Murdoch on the status of the Glint Striker and working on the Natural OS with Mayu and Stella," Kira answered, moving towards the food line. "The Glint's still incomplete, but the engineers began working on it since they just finished the Reach."

Sai gently nudged Flay, making the girl blink owlishly for a second before finally catching on. Nervously, she stood. Everyone's attention switched to her as she looked back and forth between Kira and Stella.

"Um…Stella, Kira, I'm sorry for the other day," Flay apologized, bowing slightly as she did. "I wasn't thinking when I said those things. If I had known both of you were trying to keep the fact that you're Coordinators…"

"I-It's okay," Yamato looked taken aback. "I mean, everything turned out alright."

"Ice-cream please!" Stella happily chimed to the cook, distracting everyone.

"Sorry, Stella, we're all out. You ate the last of it this morning," the cook informed amusedly.

Stella pouted, but took a plate of food anyways.

"She's so weird…" Sai noted, sending a strange look at Stella while keeping his voice low. "Hard to believe she's a soldier."

"Yeah, I know," Kira agreed as he joined his friends at their table.

"It's a scary thought," Tolle joined. "Maybe she's some sort of experiment, or something. That could explain why she's so Coordinator-like."

Kira opened his mouth to refute Koenig, but stopped. _That was… a good thought, actually,_ Kira mused, a frown marring his face.

His fork hovering just near his mouth, Yamato analyzed the implications of such revelations. If OMNI produced a soldier capable of matching a Coordinator pound-for-pound (i.e. possibly Stella), what kind of processes did they use? What kind of training did they undergo? Just what were Stella's full capabilities? Each question dug deeper towards knowledge that Kira found reluctance to trace. It was… scary.

Stella took her own seat next to him, bringing Kira out of his reverie. Her pout returned as she poked at a pile of brown that was supposed to be meatloaf. Definitely not ice-cream…

-0-

"Are you nuts! We'll end up becoming a part of the Debris Belt if we try something like that!" greeted Arnold's voice as Murrue entered the bridge, arriving late after losing track of time.

"What're we discussing?" she interrupted.

Natarle, Arnold, and Mu (who was noticeably happy to find her there) watched the captain taking her seat.

"Oh, not much," answered Mu, sounding surprisingly jubilant, despite the subject of his previous argument.

Natarle chose to inform the captain: "We were discussing the best route to the lunar fleet. Among the suggestions was a route through the debris belt -which is where you came in on us- but there would be a strong likelihood that the ship would take damage if we took that direction. So far, our best option is to get around the belt."

"I see…" muttered Murrue, taking a seat in the captain's chair. "How's the status of our supplies?"

The room's mood sobered. Murrue guessed it was an answer she wasn't about to enjoy.

"Our food supply is enough to last us until we get to the moon, even with the civilians onboard," Natarle explained. "But our water supply is dangerously low. If we don't do something, we'll run out of water before we reach the Eighth Lunar Fleet."

"Wait a minute…" Mu suddenly said, a grin slowly lighting up his face. "That's it! The Debris Belt!"

"What?" Murrue asked, for once curious as to where Mu's mind was moving.

"Can I make the impossible possible, or what!" he excitedly exclaimed.

-0-

"_I'm seriously beginning to think he's a demented Coordinator…"_ Murrue muttered offhandedly, probably not knowing the radio was on.

Using the Aile-mounted Strike, the Estoc, and the Moebius Zero, Murrue ordered them to act as scouts. The Estoc weaved through the debris with ease in its mobile armor form, utilizing its exceptional sensors to fly through debris-loaded areas, building-like structures, and other gnarled configurations. The Strike nipped at Stella's heels, maneuvering through the area with grace.

Following Kira's example, Stella slowed.

"I don't like it here," Stella said as she carefully looked at each camera.

All of the chaos, all of the destruction wrought by man's hand… it reminded her of death.

"_Neither do I," _Yamato agreed.

"_Any luck?_" asked Murrue.

"_No joy_," replied Mu La Flaga. "_We'll move into a new area. Come on guys; nothing here too."_

Stella gently pressed the pedal, slowly coming to speed –the Debris Belt limited maneuverability terribly.

"_I got to admit, using us as scouts to look for water rather than waste time by using the Archangel was a pretty good idea."_

Stella quickly glanced at a camera screen, finding the _Moebius Zero_ approaching the _Strike_ past a glass wall once a part of a skyscraper.

"_I'm not going to bother bragging_," Murrue replied. "_Personally, I wished we could stay away from this place._"

"_Yeah, it's a little creepy, isn't it?"_ Mu continued.

"_This is probably what the end of the world looks like,"_ Kira interjected.

The radio went silent.

All three units remained relatively close as they dodged through the debris with grace. Stella turned the Estoc on its side and slid through a tight path featuring two buildings coming close to each other while Kira went the other direction and dove through a tunnel that was once a busy highway. Coming to a dead end, Loussier pulled up on her joystick and pushed on the boosters; when she was above the large wall, she continued onwards unabated.

Stella looked at a camera screen in the corner of her eye, watching as Kira rejoined her and then disappeared for a split second as a wall blocked her view.

"_Fighting in this place would be very difficult,"_ Kira said, trying to make conversation to pass the time –it also served to ease his shot nerves.

There was just something about this place…

"_Yeah, it's not the most forgiving of places when it comes to that kind of stuff_," replied Mu. _"The few sorties I've done involving the Debris Belt were far from pleasant. I've seen mobile armor pilots die from accidentally colliding with walls and buildings."_

"_Thanks for making me even more nervous,"_ Kira sarcastically returned, even as he dodged a light pole

Stella swerved past a destroyed house.

Mu sounded amused. _"You're doing just fine and you don't have to worry about small debris damage because of the Phase-Shift armor. Just don't go too fast and slam into a wall headfirst. That goes for you too, Stella."_

It was then a glint caught Stella's eye. She quickly hit the brakes, stopping just before the image disappeared

"_What's up?"_ asked Mu.

"I found something," answered Stella, staring intently at a particular camera.

The _Estoc_ turned ninety degrees and sped off, followed shortly by the _Zero and Strike_. After debris dodging, the three came upon a large mass covered in tons of ice, frozen by the harsh cold of space.

"_WOOHOO! I knew my idea would work!"_ Mu's excited voice resounded on the radio.

Kira, on the other hand, wasn't as excited. "_Is this what I think it is_?"

"_What?"_ Mu asked with all the excitement drained from his voice.

"_Take a closer look,"_ Kira suggested, sounding somber over the radio.

The radio was silent for several seconds before Flaga's voice came back on. _"Oh my God…"_ he whispered. "_Archangel, we've found water, but you aren't going to like where we're going get it from. Here's the coordinates."_

"What's wrong?" Stella questioned. "Is this place bad?"

"_It's… complicated,"_ Kira answered. "_This place… It was once Junius Seven."_

-0-

Before Murrue and Mu, the entire crew gathered inside the hangar. Everyone present was to help gather water. However, many openly showed their dissatisfaction. Ransacking Junius Seven felt sinful.

"You're not serious, are you?" Shinn protested. "That's… That's…!"

"Look, there's at least one hundred million tons of fresh water," explained Natarle, sounding edgier than normal. "There aren't many any other places where we can get it from!"

"Do I look like I'm jumping for joy either?" Mu shot back. "I'm not shouting 'Hooray! Water!', but guess what… It's water. I hate to say this, but I'm going to have to agree with Badgiruel on this one."

"Lieutenant La Flaga…" whispered Kira.

"Look, if I could help it, none of us would be stepping onto that place. But right now, we need to survive."

"But we'd…" Shinn's complexion saddened. "It feels like we're about to desecrate a grave."

"I'm not happy either," Murrue said. "But it's the only water we've been able to locate. If anybody else has a better idea, I'm out to hear it, but until then this all we have to work with." She then proceeded to issue out orders. "All available crewmen are to man the Mistral pods. Pilots, I've got other orders."

Nobody argued, though, none liked it. Indeed, it felt like robbing a grave. But what else could they do to live on?

* * *

"I don't know whether I should be scared or excited," Mu thought aloud.

"_Why's that? You pilot mobile armors all the time,"_ Kira noted.

"Kid, this is a breed all its own," La Flaga explained. "I watched the original pilots. Do you know how many issues they had?"

"_I don't think I want to know_."

"Yeah, it was _bad_."

Like any good pilot, Mu wanted to get acquainted with his new machine before he took it out for the first date. He carefully proceeded through each of the activation procedures for the Reach, memorizing each step. It wasn't drastically different from a Moebius Zero's system, but there were notable differences.

Murrue ordered the pilots to work on the OS for the Reach; she wanted the suit ready ASAP as a trump card against another ZAFT attack. The idea was: as Mu piloted the machine, a programming team led by Kira, followed by Mayu, and Stella, would make calibrations remotely, enabling rapid creation of a working OS. In theory at least…

As Shinn was useless in this endeavor, he was to guard the Mistrals.

Despite how easy it sounded, the Gundams were picky about their operation systems. Each machine had different capabilities and required custom-made OSs to bring them to their full potential. Throw in the fact that it has to work with a Natural, and you've got the recipe for one long day.

The Reach, stripped of its weapons and armored cloak,was lowered onto a catapult. The cameras came to life, giving Mu almost a full three-hundred and sixty degree view –that was _definitely_ different from his Moebius. However, the Phase-Shift remained deactivated to give the maximum amount of battery time to work on the machine.

"Got any hints to give before I decide to launch?" Mu asked.

"_Don't trip!"_ Stella happily chimed.

Mu heard Kira laughing in the background.

"Stella… You know what, never mind," Mu groaned. "Reach, launching."

Once in the open, Mu gently pressed the thrusters, lowering the Reach to the ice below. Unfortunately, the slippery surface caused the already unbalanced Gundam to trip, landing atop a Mistral.

"_What the hell, Lieutenant La Flaga!_" Tolle angrily shot.

Kira's laughter only got louder, alongside Stella and Mayu joining in.

"Sorry!" Mu quickly apologized as he pulled back on a joystick, willing the Reach to stand and allow the Mistral to return to work.

"_How's it going so far?"_ Murrue asked –he could _hear_ her amused smile over the radio.

Mu stabilized the Reach's stance. "Cheap entertainment at my cost… How do you think it's going?"

"_Hmm… I should think about recording this, you know for data_-"

"I call BS on that! You just want to hang this over my head for the rest of the trip!"

"… _Yeah, that's about right." _

"_Mu,"_ Kira interrupted, recovering from his laughing fit, "_start moving around. The ice will make things complicated, but we should be able to compensate."_

Slowly, Mu willed the Reach to walk. The slow pace was shaky to start with, but he could hear the noisy clacking of fingers against keyboard keys across the comm. unit. Within minutes, walking became less tedious, even against the slippery surface below. Feeling lucky, he pushed the Reach a bit harder until it began running. Like before, it was shaky, but it rapidly improved. Grinning, he got into a boxing stance and performed some jabs and uppercuts; slow at first, but after several moments they looked almost professional.

"_Okay,_" Kira said, garnering his attention. "_I think we've got most of the basic movements down. We'll need to perform some checks on the thrusters. After that, weapon calibrations. Keep in mind that this OS isn't perfected, but you'll at least be able to pilot it after we're done._"

"Sounds awesome," Mu said, a grin spreading across his face.

-0-

Beyond the humor of watching the Reach hump a Mistral by accident, guard duty was the epitome of what Shinn hated in life: boring. It was so boring that Shinn was half-tempted to take a nap in his cockpit.

Now, why was he here again? Oh, yeah… he couldn't '_write an OS to save his life_,' as his loveable sister so eloquently put it.

Shinn grumbled out something about 'bitchy sisters' and 'stupid OSs' as he brought up the weapon catalogue to scan over the changes Mayu made… for the fifteenth time. He still couldn't get over the fact that he had a beam pistol and never knew about it until recently.

After watching the Reach board the Archangel, Shinn figured he should do something useful and patrol the area. So far, his observations proved as boring as the duty itself. Junk, junk, and, well, more junk. Really, that was all he expected to find the Debris Belt.

A glimpse of movement caught the corner of Shinn's eye. Turning the Raid, Shinn zoomed the cameras in, finding a reconnaissance-type GINN. Its single eye moved from left to right, scanning the area. It wasn't alone. A second flew from below, its eye also moving about.

Shinn didn't think twice. "Two GINNs! Moving to attack!"

"_Wait, Asuka…!"_ Natarle tried to say.

Shinn's roar cut her off as the Beowulf switched forward, immediately superheating and turning orange. The GINNs saw him, immediately raising their rifles and firing, but the microthrusters propelled Shinn left and right, easily dodging the attacks. Both scattered as the Raid gouged a wall with its superheated blade, leaving a scar of molten rock.

The _Raid_ spun to give chase, but the GINNs weren't stupid –they knew a close-quarters combatant when they saw one. Just as a Beowulf came crashing down, the GINN pushed backwards and dodged the swipe; the partner GINN retaliated from behind, a cloud of solid bullets impacting the Phase-Shift with a rain of red sparks. Angry, Shinn charged at the attacking GINN, but it dodged out of the way as its partner swooped down and rained lead.

"Damn you!" Shinn roared as he switched to rocket anchors.

Both anchors missed their targets, but Shinn took advantage of the debris they struck and swung. Neither of his opponents saw it coming; one lost an engine from the impact while his partner was sent careening into the side of a wall.

A single laser shot screamed towards their direction, piercing one of the recovering GINNs in the cockpit like a spear of yellow/orange light. Upon seeing its partner's death, the other made to retreat, but two more shots came in its their direction. One cut an arm off as the other cleanly pierced the cockpit, making the suit explode in a cloud of pink smoke.

"What the…?" Shinn muttered, turning to find the source of the beam attacks.

Narrowing his eyes, he spotted a single green/black speck at the other end of the Junius Seven remains. Even at full magnification, he could barely make out the silhouette of a mobile suit holding up a sniper rifle as equally long as the Agni.

Three shots, two of which were perfect and the other crippling, and from a distance almost several miles long… That was some serious accuracy.

"_Shinn, you okay_?" Mu asked.

"Been through worse," Asuka answered. "Were you…?

"_Hell yeah! You coul__d shoot the ass off an ant with this suit! Kira and the others put on the finishing touches in time for me take those GINNs out… Now that I think about it, what is pair of ZAFT mobile suits doing so far out here_?"

"Not sure –Hey, is that lifeboat?"

* * *

"Who brought _that_ in?" questioned Natarle as she joined the group surrounding the lifeboat, a slight edge to her voice.

"I did," Shin answered grimacing, still clad in his flight suit. "What of it?"

"You would've been better off leaving it out there," the ensign made no effort to withhold her irritation.

Asuka narrowed his eyes. "You do realize that I may've accidentally blown up the rescue team, right?"

"ZAFT's problem, not ours," countered Badgiruel.

"What if the person is harmed and needs medical attention?"

"_ZAFT's_ problem, _not_ ours."

"You know what, you're a heartless bitch," Shinn concluded.

Natarle looked aghast at the insult, but quickly recollected herself with a quick reminder that he was a civilian.

However, she wasn't one to back down. "Oh, really? Well, what happens if our new guest is hostile, or is a high ranking representative? ZAFT could very well-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get the idea," Shinn interrupted. "But you're still a heartless bitch," he added.

Natarle readied to retort, but was interrupted by Mu.

"That's enough you two," the lieutenant ordered with finality. "Shinn, show more respect. Otherwise you might find yourself cleaning toilets for a while. And Natarle," whatever satisfaction the ensign had was quickly lost at the mentioning of her name, "please keep in mind he's a kid."

"Yes sir," Natarle said.

"Whatever," Shinn muttered.

"Hey!" interrupted Murdoch. "Do you guys want me to open this thing up or not!"

"Oh, sorry," apologized Mu. "Yeah, go ahead and open it now."

Everyone silenced themselves as Murdoch fidgeted with a wire panel. Nearby, three guards raised their rifles towards the entrance, a precaution in case their newest guest was hostile.

There were a lot of things everyone expected to come out of the lifeboat. An enemy commander, a high ranking representative… the list went onward. What they didn't expect was a chirping pink ball no bigger than a softball to float by.

"_Haro! Lacus! Haro!"_ it chirped.

When it came close enough, Kira gently caught the pink ball out of the air.

"_Hello! Haro_!" it shouted, startling Kira as he turned it face up.

"What. The. Hell?" Shinn slowly questioned as he stared at the small contraption.

"That would be Haro," Kira could only describe the voice coming from the lifeboat as capable of shaming even an angel. "And thank you very much. I appreciate your assistance."

Kira turned towards the lifeboat, finding a beautiful girl gently floating out of the entrance, her long, bright-pink hair cascading behind her. The bright twinkle held in her navy-blue eyes immediately caught Kira's violet, his gaze lingering on her almost hypnotically.

Shinn held his chin in thought. "She's cute, but she can't seriously be that important."

Mu sighed at Asuka's astute lack of political knowledge. "Does the name Lacus Clyne ring any bells?"

If it hadn't been attached to his skull, Shinn's jaw would've fallen off.

Turning his head slowly enough that the tendons could almost be heard snapping, his eye twitched as he saw Natarle's smug told-ya-so face.

_Author's Note__:_ This chapter had a little bit of everything. Humor, action, some character development. You know, Shinn's easy to put into funny situations. The Reach was revealed. Betcha' you all liked that. And Lacus has now entered the limelight.

As you can see, Natarle and Shinn aren't going to get along. It'll mostly be for humor, but there will be points where they'll not get along in stressful situations. Their personalities clash and from the start I planned on them not getting along at all. There will be other blow-ups and clashes between the duo.

Next chapter will be dedicated to the necessity called character development. With Lacus aboard, all of the Gundam pilots will have varying reactions and encounters with the pink princess. But there's more than fight scenes. We'll see the new member of the La Crueset team as well.

_**Archangel Mobile Weapon Database:**_

**GAT-X107 Reach**

**Model Number**: GAT-X107  
**Code Name:** Reach  
**Manufacturer**: Morgenroete, Inc.  
**Operator:** Earth Alliance  
**Pilot**: Mu La Flaga [Natural, EA Identification Code: OL-32001], Cagalli Yula Atha [Natural, Civilian]

**Head Height**: 18.3 Meters  
**Standard Weight**: 75.46 MT  
**Accommodations:** Single Pilot, standard chest cockpit  
**Powerplant**: Ultracompact Energy Battery  
**Armor**: Phase-Shift Armor, Laminated Armor Cloak  
**Role**: Long-Range/Scouting

**Standard Armament**: 'Dynames' 210mm Hyper Impulse Sniper Rifle, X2 'Ahura Mazda' Short Range Energy Cannon, X2 'Armor Schneider' Combat Knife

**Special Equipment and Features**: Laminated Armor Cloak, Third-Eye Camera

**Notes**: The Reach was designed as a long-range/scouting unit to gather data on enemies or to provide cover for the other units. Although its capable of fighting at all ranges, the preferred attacking range is long distance.

Its range is far greater than even the Buster's; it's even theorized that, provided the proper equipment, the Reach would be able to target enemies past the Earth's atmosphere. The secret to its incredible accuracy is the powerful 'Third-Eye Camera' mounted in the crest, which can spy a penny on a New York sidewalk from space.

The 'Dynames' hyper impulse sniper rifle is the primary weapon of the Reach. It has the power of the 'Agni,' but condenses the photons in a hyper-dense beam, lowering destructive power but dramatically increasing accuracy. Should closer ranged battles take place, the choice weapons are the dual 'Ahura Mazda' for medium ranges or the 'Armor Schneider' as last resorts. A special laminated armor cloak was installed to provide defense while the Reach is sniping.

Unit is piloted by Mu La Flaga, EA identification code: OL-32001. Unit is later 'borrowed' by Cagalli Yula Atha.

_**Database Requires Further Updates. Signing Off.**_

Okay, I _had_ to pay homage to Gundam 00. I didn't want to use the Exia because it's used so many times, and many Gundams in fanfiction are based off it. I've seen homage to Seravee and Exia, and others, but never anything with Dynames or Kyrios or their respective line of suits. Among the CB Gundams, the Dynames line of suits was my one of my favorites; if I had to get into any one of those cockpits, it'd be that one.

Mu piloting the Reach is also symbolic in of itself. As Lockon was the big-brother-figure of the meisters, Mu is Barren Sky's brother-figure to the younger pilots. Not only that, I also think they share the same actors. I'll have to look that up…


	9. Phase 9: Animato

"You know," Mackenzie began, "after piloting the Maul, I'm feeling kinda spoiled." He shrugged. "It's just not the same."

"This is no ordinary RAVU, my friend," the newest addition to the Le Creuset team defended.

"No, it's a piece of crap," Rusty corrected. "An _orange_ piece of crap."

"Then I suppose I should go out and steal my own super-machine?" Westenfluss sarcastically countered.

Rusty raised a brow. "Did I mention your machine is a piece of crap?"

"Yes, about six times now. And what about you?" Heine gestured towards the Maul. "That's a lot of firepower. Compensating for something? Like a lacking love life?"

"… I'm gonna super-glue your mouth shut later."

Athrun just sighed in exasperation as he listened to the duo banter, choosing to lean on the rail and look up at the new additions to the mobile suit line-up.

Compared to the GINN and the CGUE, the RAVU was an impressive piece of hardware, incorporating only the most modern of weaponry (up until the Earth Alliance prototypes at least). According to the files Athrun scanned, the RAVU could perform within the atmosphere or space thanks to its larger engines and stabilizer wings. Experimental beam weaponry was added as a last minute addition in an effort to match the Gundams.

Two RAVUs were given to Le Crueset's team. One was painted orange and incorporated a number of close-range additions, as expected of Heine Westenfluss' fighting style. The other machine, however, retained the basic armament; being painted white, Athrun surmised this machine belonged to the commander himself.

However, ZAFT's latest engineering marvel had been lost on Athrun in the same way it had been to Rusty. After having piloted the Aegis, he was hard pressed to find another machine capable of awing him the same way as the crimson suit had done. Their current mobile weapons were simply too powerful to compare to anything else in current production.

"I see you all are getting along," Rau joined the trio of redcoats followed closely by a woman with dishwater blond hair and the signature black uniform of a captain

All three turned to salute the newcomers.

"Eh, if he can take a joke or two, he'll fit right in," Rusty said, his hand coming down.

"And if Mackenzie can take what he dishes, I'm sure I'll fit right in," Heine added, relaxed and composed despite the earlier banter.

"I don't see any issues," Athrun added. "I just worry if Heine will be able to keep up with the rest of us. After all, we're piloting the Earth Alliance prototypes."

"Yeah," agreed Mackenzie. "Heck, our skirmishes alone with the legged ship have been pretty intense."

Heine raised a brow. "Wow, these missions must pretty tough if my skills are being doubted."

"They do not doubt your skills, Westenfluss," Rau corrected. "Rather, they're worried about our machines keeping up with theirs. And they have good reason to worry; our opponents aren't to be taken lightly."

_Did I just hear grudging respect in his voice?_ Rusty mentally analyzed. _Wow. Normally, it's so condescending… I wonder what changed that._

"Oh, yes, this is the captain of the _Andoryan_," Le Creuset gestured towards the captain that remained silent through the exchanges.

"Talia Gladys," the black-coat offered, saluting. The three other redcoats returned the gesture.

"She'll be joining us, along with the _Andoryan's_ pilot assortment." Le Creuset sighed. "But I digress. Our orders have changed temporarily."

Rusty raised an eyebrow. "A change in plans?" he reiterated.

"Yes. We were requested to undertake a rescue operation," he explained. "The whereabouts of Lacus Clyne are currently unknown. Several days ago, we received information that the shuttle she was on was damaged. We've sent several long-range reconnaissance units out to find her, but they haven't returned. So, we've been tasked to discover what happened and if Miss Clyne is unharmed."

Looking towards Athrun, Rusty found him blanched. He stood tall, like usual, but the worry was as plain as daylight.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to rescue her and celebrate her return, or come back weeping bitter tears for our loss," Rau said, though Rusty didn't miss the smirk that tugged at his commander's lips as he turned to leave.

_Another reason for me to hate this bastard…_ Rusty's only sign of repugnance was a slight twitch of his face. _He's taking way too much enjoyment in this. And wow, I'm really putting his behavior under a microscope._

Talia turned her attention from the commander's retreating form to the redcoats. "My ship has some last minute protocols that need to be covered before we're ready to shove off. You'll have to excuse me."

"Understandable," Heine said, offering a half-hearted wave.

When the captain disappeared, Mackenzie turned to Athrun. "Hey, don't worry. We'll get her back."

Zala remained silent for a minute. "I hope so."

-0-

The moment Le Creuset's door closed, a scowl replaced his impartial countenance, his teeth visibly grinding. Seething anger hotter than molten steel ignited his nerves as memories of his meeting flashed through his mind.

"_Why do you have such interest in a meaningless topic?" Rau questioned, his eyebrows knitting together behind his mask._

_Durandal smiled knowingly, a sense of deviousness lying underneath like a spider waiting at the edge of an intricately woven web._

Locking the door, he sat behind his desk while pulling out the pills Durandal had supplied him the day before. Slipping one into his mouth, he untied his mask and gently laid it on the desk. His eyes glared into nothingness, the blue irises alit with brimming resentment.

"_Kira…" Durandal voiced with a curious tone –it almost sounded like… nostalgia- as he reclined in his seat. "Such a name… Names identify who we are, given to us at birth as a sign of endearment by our parents and to mark ourselves within society. But they're so much more. Names define us, they describe us, and they commemorate our very existence. The very mentioning of a name can bring with it memories and emotions, a symbol that connects. Kira… Such a peculiar name, at least for me. With every letter, there's a familiarity that caresses the edges of my memories."_

_A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Le Creuset's face, the twinges of familiarity tickling the edges of his own reminiscences. Every time the name rolled off of Durandal's tongue, recollection was slowly being dug out of his mind like a grave robber desecrating a tomb._

_Kira… It was slowly starting to sound so familiar, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth._

_Seeing Rau off balance, Durandal's smile twitched. The spider could sense its unwitting prey flying ever too closely to its trap._

Le Creuset closed his eyes, attempting to rein in his emotions.

He needed to think rationally. His game of 'fly and the spider' with Durandal -although one-sided despite whatever gains he managed- revealed vital information. With it, he now understood the scale and desperation of the situation and the danger level of their opponent.

Even if he unwittingly played into Durandal's schemes.

_Rau knew that from the moment he stepped into the office he fell into a trap he couldn't elude. All routes of escape were cutoff while he writhed in his own curiosity, biting into bait so irresistible that he wouldn't wish to flee. And this bait Durandal had on his hook kept Rau coming back for more._

_Kira… Where did he here that name? Kira… Kira…_

…_Kira Hibiki._

Everything with the mission started so simply. Capture a set of prototypes for ZAFT's use and then return home. However, irregularities interrupted everything. Due to unforeseen circumstances, four machines slipped through their fingers. All of which were being piloted by Coordinators.

Even then, it only got more… _complicated_.

Blue Cosmos had fired nuclear weapons upon Junius Seven, beginning a long, bloody war with no end in sight. All for the sake of eliminating a single person. Their single-minded ideology demanded they destroy all who stood in the way of a 'pure and blue world,' the epitome of this threat being the 'Ultimate' Coordinator.

However, Kira Yamato was never on Junius Seven. Rather, he was now piloting a mobile suit for the Earth Alliance.

The irony elicited a snort of amusement from Rau. God, he'd pay _any price_ to see Muruta Azrael's face if the Logos bastard ever found out.

_The spider watched in glee as the fly tangled itself, the approaching ending slow and fearful as the arachnid mockingly rejoiced its conquest. The moment understanding dawned within Rau's mind Durandal's seemingly congenial smile twisted into a wicked smirk._

"…_The prodigal bastard lives on, I see," Rau murmured, remaining calm despite the sudden revelation._

"_Indeed," Gilbert confirmed._

_Rau felt another bead of sweat roll down his face. He knew what was going to come next._

"_I suppose you want me to kill him," Rau said._

_Durandal's smile became knowing. "Why would I suggest such an atrocious idea?"_

"_Because you view him as a threat. You wouldn't have revealed such sensitive information carelessly. Just say it already. I know you want him dead as much as I do, if not more."_

"Damn it..." Rau muttered past clenched teeth.

He walked right into Durandal's game of catch-22. By playing certain cards, Gilbert took advantage of his hatred knowing that if Kira's true identity was revealed Le Creuset would be forced to take action no matter what.

Either way, Kira Yamato had to die.

"_I suppose you could say that," Gilbert's smile fell. "Rather, he's not a threat yet. But, if the information Patrick was kind enough to share is any indication, Yamato will quickly become a threat. There's potential yet to be unlocked within him. Potential that, if harnessed, could very well tip the delicate scale of balance."_

"_I hardly understand what you're implying."_

_Durandal's knowing smirk lit his face. "Krane Hibiki had an interest in black-box genetics and his son is the epitome of such studies. You'll understand soon enough."_

On that vague note, Rau had been dismissed. Even so, Rau found himself engrossed in Hibiki's project.

Black-box genetics. Geneticist slang for hidden mutations or genetics that yielded incredible potential but were vaguely understood, Newtypes being a prime example. They understood the outputs and inputs of such genes, but never how they worked. Even to this day, possible black-box genes like SEED factor or Newtypism weren't understood, partially due to their rarity and their incredible outputs.

"What the hell were you suggesting, Durandal?" Rau murmured to the walls.

Le Creuset knew of Hibiki's strange fascination with black-box genetics. However, if Durandal's hints were understood, then Yamato may've somehow had Newtype genetics grafted to his DNA. But Rau wasn't sure what that afforded besides a heightened sense of spatial awareness and psychokinetic-like empathy abilities. No, there had to be something there that made Kira even more dangerous.

Rau was shaken out of his thoughts as the _Vesalius_ launched. With a sigh, he retracted his thoughts remembering that certain duties had precedence at the moment.

* * *

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Murrue face-palmed, already wondering where the aspirin was for _this_ headache.

"Yep, that's the pink princess, Lacus Clyne herself," Mu answered, holding a wiry smile. "Of all the people we could've rescued…"

They watched Kira catch Lacus as she floated by, a blush igniting his face.

"Thank you," she said, Kira's flush deepening.

"Uh… no problem," he slowly said, still dazed by the beauty he held.

Looking towards the patch on Kira's shoulder, Lacus quickly noted that it wasn't a regular ZAFT uniform. As a matter of fact, it looked very much like an OMNI… Realizing where she was, Lacus looked about apprehensively.

Strange… she didn't think the Earth Alliance had mobile suits yet.

"Oh my," she spoke, sounding nervous. "This isn't a ZAFT ship, is it?"

Everyone simply continued to stare.

Haro chirped, breaking the silence. "_Happy times! Happy times_!"

* * *

"So…" began Mu, "what're we going to do about our guest?"

"We're not making any stops," Badgiruel warningly said. "We may be heading towards the Lunar HQ, but she _is_ a civilian; there shouldn't be any issues."

"Of course," Mu sarcastically shot back. "They'd welcome her with open arms alright. That is, of course, after they place the cuffs on her and take her to a five star jail cell."

"I don't like it either," Murrue interjected before the two could begin arguing –her headache was already bad enough. "But right now, it's not like we can hail a ZAFT ship to come and pick her up, not unless we feel like slapping a target to our backs."

"It's not like we don't have one already strapped to our asses," Mu interrupted, offering a cheeky smile when Ramius glowered at him.

"Point is," Murrue's glared lingered, "we'll just have to make due and carry her along. There aren't any other options."

Neumann walked into the bridge, garnering everyone's attention.

"All of the supplies are on board, our water supply is in the green, and we are ready to go," Neumann announced. He then lightly smiled. "Oh, by the way, Murdoch wants Mu to know that he doesn't appreciate it when someone dents his mobile suits."

It was the age old question of whether or not a mobile weapon -whether it be a plane, tank, armor, or suit- belonged to the mechanic or the pilot. Although the pilots made use of the weapon, it was the mechanics that fixed it and made it work properly.

Evidently, Murdoch became attached to the weapons, which meant Mu was going to get an earful when he visited the hangar. It wouldn't be so bad if he hadn't tripped on that Mistral… Mu groaned, palming his face as he visualized the chew-out session.

Ignoring Mu's theatrics, Murrue looked out towards space, eagerly awaiting her exit from the debris belt. "Alright, shove off so we can finally get out of here."

* * *

There was a knocking on Lacus' door. Turning to greet it, she found her ever lovable Haro bumping the metal.

"_I do not accept!"_

Before she could react, the door was opened and it was off.

"No, wait!" Lacus vainly ordered, but the little device would hear none of it. "Mr. Pink!"

She rushed to give chase.

Outside the doorway, Kira, who was holding a tray of food for the rescued songstress, watched as a pink device hopped past, followed by a cry of 'Mr. Pink!' and an equally pink head of hair running after the pet robot. With a sigh, Yamato realized that the pink ball could hack doors.

As a matter of fact, he _did_ know someone who'd build such a mischievous contraption. But that was too much a coincidence… right?

"Birdie!" chirped Kira's mechanical bird as it landed on his shoulder.

"I suppose I should go after her," he muttered, setting aside Lacus' food.

-0-

Mr. Pink was bored, and a bored Mr. Pink was a mischievous Mr. Pink. Normally, Lacus' many Haros entertained each other and therefore stayed out of trouble. But when one was by itself for too long, it'd get into all kinds of mischief.

Sure enough, Haro got lots of attention from the crew. Some members would be mildly entertained. Others would vainly attempt to help her catch the small pink machine –the last attempt actually sent the little machine ricocheting through the halls as it excitedly chirped.

Finally, the little machine led her to the hangar, floating just out of Lacus' reach.

"_Fun! Haro!"_ it happily chirped as it flapped away.

"Mr. Pink, they're going to get mad at us!" Lacus unsuccessfully reasoned with the little machine.

Just as it flapped a little harder to get away, a hand shot up and caught the pink softball. Stopping by grabbing onto the rail, Lacus followed the limb to its owner, finding Kira Yamato at the other end.

"That was quite the chase," he amusedly said.

"Thank you," she said as she gently took back the little machine.

"_Damn it_!" it chirped.

"By the way," Kira said, "I left your lunch in your room. It should still be warm by the time you get back."

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Yamato," she politely nodded.

"Just Kira is okay." His smile became slightly wider. "I saw you chasing after it; so, I thought I'd head it off."

Lacus took a moment to take in the hangar, noting the mobile suits standing silently in there cradles. For the first time, she noticed that no two looked alike.

She turned to Kira. "Which one do you pilot?"

Kira looked caught off guard by the question, but smiled nonetheless. "I pilot that one over there," he pointed in the direction of his respective suit. "It's called the Strike."

"I see…" she muttered. "What about that one?" Lacus pointed in the direction of another suit.

"That would be the Raid. That's the one Shinn pilots."

-0-

Below them, Mu carefully watched the interactions of the two teenagers.

"You want me to call somebody and get her back to her room?" Murdoch asked, finally noticing them.

Mu chuckled. "Nah, let's leave'em alone. It looks like Kira's got things covered."

Murdoch wasn't convinced. "Are you sure? He looks like he's telling her stuff about the suits."

"What's she going to do? Go to her daddy and tell him the exact specs and abilities of each suit? I think they already did something like that when they stole the other six."

"I guess you have a point…" Murdoch grumbled.

"Besides," a grin spread across Mu's face, "don't they make a cute couple?"

-0-

"The Earth Alliance makes some very interesting mobile suits," Lacus said, turning back to Yamato.

"There were originally ten," Kira said, his attention on the suit next to them, which happened to be the unoccupied Estoc. "But ZAFT attacked Heliopolis and stole six of them. My friends and I got caught up in everything."

"What do you mean?" she asked, feeling curiosity about his situation.

Kira unsurely rubbed the back of his head. "Uh… it's an interesting story."

Lacus cocked her head to her side. "I would love to hear it."

"Maybe later," Kira said, causing Lacus to lightly pout –he wouldn't be lying if he said it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen. "We're not in the best of places."

She looked about, reminding herself of their location. "I guess you're right…"

"Kira," called a familiar voice.

Murrue was headed their direction. Only after stopping in front of the two teens did the captain finally take note of Lacus, free of her room no less.

"Do you mind telling me why Miss Clyne is not in her room?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the pink princess.

"Uh, that's a funny story," Kira answered, rubbing the back of his head while wearing a wiry smile.

Lacus stepped in front of him. "Please don't get mad at Kira. Mr. Pink," she held out her Haro which chirped a '_Hello_!' "got bored and escaped."

"Really…?" Murrue drawled, her eyebrow rising even higher.

"It's true," Kira intervened. "It hacked the door and then took off."

"Riiiiight…" Ramius said, buying the story with some disbelief. "If that's the case…" she pointedly looked at the pink robot still in Lacus' hands. "Change the codes on the door and make sure it doesn't happen again.

As the two left for the bunks while chatting idly, Ramius floated down towards the mechanics.

"Aww," Mu greeted with a sigh. "It was such a cute show, too. And you had to go and ruin it. Spoil-sport…"

Murrue wasn't as entertained. "Just tell me whether the Reach will be fully combat-capable for our next bout with ZAFT."

-0-

Shinn was hiding, or at least trying to avoid as many people possible. His unknowing rescue of Clyne quickly became a running gag. Moron-in-shining-armor, Sir Screw-up-a-lot… It was lame joke after lame joke, even after Mu confirmed that destroying the GINNs was the smartest choice and ordered that everyone lay off the poor Asuka (though, La Flaga still jabbed at Shinn's hotheadedness).

Unfortunately, Asuka couldn't escape all of them.

Tolle got him this time as he passed by. "Hey, knight-in-shining-armor, you might wanna look before you go attacking the princess's rescue team next time."

It may've been mild compared to some others, but Shinn gave him a lazy bird anyways. Tolle laughed even harder, much to Asuka's chagrin.

Turning back to his intended direction, Shinn met Kira walking alongside Lacus, both talking animatedly.

Kira noticed Shinn before the younger teen could make a hasty escape. "Hey, Shinn, you okay?"

"I'm having a really, _really_ bad day," Shinn answered, an annoyed grimace twisting his face.

"_Good day! Good day!"_ chirped Haro, garnering a glare from Asuka.

"I hope it gets better," Lacus' crisply said.

Remembering he was in presence of the very person he inconvenienced, Shinn shrunk into himself.

God, his conscience was an asshole…

"Um… Lacus," he found an unusual interest in the hall lights –hmm… the left bulb was a little dim. "I want to… apologize…"

Clyne cocked her head. "I'm afraid that I don't understand."

Asuka rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I… was kind of an idiot… and blew up your rescue team."

Really, he didn't mean to. The _Archangel_ had been first and foremost on his mind. Shinn only worried about ZAFT discovering the ship and alerting allies of their presence, not whether they were on and errand or anything else.

To that end, Shinn felt an apology was due to the pop star, even if his ego demanded otherwise.

Lacus pleasantly smiled. "To err is to be human. It doesn't matter if you're a Natural or Coordinator, we all do it. You were just trying to protect everyone."

"Yeah… Doesn't change the fact I may've done something royally stupid."

Shinn felt comforted knowing he was forgiven. Humbled even. He imagined anyone else would've flown off the handle.

"Still," Clyne said, "you look a little young to be an Earth Alliance pilot."

"I'm kinda in the same boat as Kira," Shinn corrected, perking up. "My sister is on board and I don't want her to get hurt."

"That's a good reason to fight. I wish more people fought for the same reasons you do."

* * *

Dinner time rolled around quite quickly after the incident, and Lacus couldn't wait. She was hoping Kira would be the one to drop off her food. She loved talking to him; he was so nice and gentle. Of course, Shinn was pleasant too, a little too headstrong and somewhat protective of all he held dear.

"_I do not accept!"_ Haro was trying to open the door… again.

Kira changed the codes to the door earlier, but Lacus had warned that it wouldn't be long before Mr. Pink broke them again. Her prediction was spot on.

"Mr. Pink…" Lacus exasperatedly sighed.

Just as she walked over to snag the little robot, the door was open and it was off again.

… At least until Kira caught it in its first hop, all the while holding a tray of food.

"_Damn it!_" it chirped.

Lacus breathed a sigh of relief as Kira walked in, setting her food on the desk. However, he wasn't alone. A younger blond girl with magenta eyes followed his wake, carrying her own food as her fork dangled from her mouth.

"It already hacked the locks?" Kira questioned in surprise, eyeing the pet robot he held.

"Thank you very much, Kira," Lacus thanked. "I was worried that I was going to have to chase Mr. Pink through the ship again."

"No problem," Kira said, moving to the door locks and reworking them, this time adding another layer of coding to further discourage the little machine from escaping.

"And who might this be?" Lacus asked, studying the blond.

"Her name's Stella Loussier. She's the pilot of the Estoc, and sorta the little sister I never had," Yamato answered, not even looking away from his work. "She wanted to meet you."

Said girl had discovered Haro. Curious, she poked it with her fork. In reply, the pet robot rolled about while happily chirping. An amused smile worked its way onto Stella's lips as she repeated, eliciting the same response.

"Is there anything else I could get for you?" Kira asked, finishing his encoding and standing.

Lacus took a moment to think about it. "If you have time, would you please join me for dinner? I would love to talk some more with you."

Kira blushed, coughing embarrassedly into his hand –he was glad Shinn or Mu weren't there. They'd poke fun at him all the way to the moon.

"Uh… sure…. I guess," he accepted.

"If you're too busy-"

"No!" Kira quickly said, raising his hands for emphasis. "You just caught me off guard with that question, that's all. I'd love to have dinner with you."

"Oh, thank you very much," she said happily.

Off to the side, Stella completely forgot about her food as she played with Haro like a cat with a ball of yarn.

* * *

"So," Lacus began as she held out a fork, "why exactly are you and the others piloting a mobile suit?"

Kira stopped mid bite and lowered his food back to his tray. His eyes became distant as he recalled the first few skirmishes he fought, all of which were experiences he wasn't fond of. If anything, he wished this entire time was nothing more than a bad dream.

He especially wasn't fond of his meetings with Athrun. Those were moments he'd willingly undergo shock treatment for the sake of forgetting.

"I…" Kira tried to find his words. "I… began piloting the Strike because I wanted to protect my friends."

Lacus smiled. "That's a very good reason to fight." Her smile slowly morphed into a sad frown. "I wish most people fought for the same reasons you and Shinn do. It feels like everyone is only driven by anger and sadness the longer this war goes on."

"Yeah, it does," agreed Kira, taking a bite out of his food.

He pondered over Lacus' words. It felt like only resentment existed between Naturals and Coordinators; ever since the Bloody Valentine Tragedy, the war spiraled deeper and deeper into the darkest parts of human nature. The only reason people fought was for the extermination of the other, the darkest of reasoning to fight any enemy. But would it solve things? Would things even degenerate beyond even that?

It was the saddest thing in the world, the more he thought about it. Coordinators thought themselves superior in every way, while Naturals viewed their genetically superior brethren with disdain for their haughtiness. Personally, Kira thought both sides were wrong. Naturals were worth more than even they thought, and Coordinators still suffered their own issues. If anything, both had one thing in common: human nature.

"Kira?" Lacus asked, noticing his distant look.

He snapped back to reality. "Oh, sorry. I just got lost in my thoughts."

Lacus lightly laughed –Kira blushed from hearing it. "I do that sometimes too."

Both glanced to Stella, watching as she bounced the wildly chirping Haro about like a hacky-sack.

"Stella," Lacus voiced, causing the girl to stop and catch Mr. Pink. "Why do you fight?"

Kira paid close attention, also curious about Stella's answer.

_Because I'm ordered to,_ was Loussier's instinctual reply, but it died in her throat.

Unknowingly, Lacus breached a subject Stella been avoiding. Ever since Artemis, Stella asked herself the same question. 'Because I'm ordered to' no longer felt like a viable answer. ZAFT's interference ruined everything, her 'mission', her views, her loyalties. Only the fear of death drove her to struggle onwards, but there was little beyond that.

Stella sadly looked down at the Haro still in her hands. "I don't know."

"I see…" Lacus' smile saddened. "I hope you find your reason."

"Can you help me find one?" Stella asked hopefully, catching both off guard.

"Stella…" Kira's words died in his throat.

Lacus recovered. "I'm sorry, I wish I could, but I think it's something you'll have to find on your own."

Stella's gaze lowered to the pink ball in her hands.

Find her own reason to fight…

* * *

After Kira and Stella left, Lacus sat at the desk, gently setting Mr. Pink down. The Haro chirped as it rolled around on the flat surface.

"They've been through a lot, haven't they Mr. Pink?" Lacus said to machine.

"_My, oh, my!"_ the little machine singed as it rolled in circle.

_I've actually enjoyed my time on this ship so far,_ Lacus thought as she sat her chin on her folded hands and watched her favorite pet robot roll around on the desk. _Everyone's been so pleasant._

Back at her mansion, there wasn't much to keep Lacus company. Her father was always away on business and there weren't many servants to talk to. Then there was Athrun. His visits were always pleasant, but ever since the war broke out, he became so distant… But he didn't want her to be alone either. It was the single reason why Athrun made her so many Haros; the chirps and presence of the little machines always made the monotony disappear, at least for a little while.

But here on the _Archangel_, Kira and the others visited her. She loved talking to them. And they seemed very eager to be friends with her. For that simple fact, Lacus was happier than she could remember being in a long time.

For a brief –a very brief- second, she pondered whether or not she wanted to leave the _Archangel_.

* * *

"Meeting time!" Mu jovially announced as he led the pilots (and Mayu) into a meeting room.

Shinn rolled his eyes. "Oh joy…"

Mayu roughly elbowed him.

"Thank you, Mayu," La Flaga approved, earning a grin from the girl and a glare from Shinn.

"What's up?" Kira asked as he took his seat.

Next to him, Stella hopped into her seat and began spinning it. Kira, without looking, stopped the chair, Loussier pouting in retaliation.

"Battle tactics," Mu answered. "We need to talk about battle positions and such. As we have a somewhat full squadron, we don't need everybody going off into their own little world out there. If ZAFT attacks, I want us to at least look organized. Any questions?"

Seeing no interruptions, Mu continued. "Okay, starting off. I fully intend to hang in the back and guard the ship. The Reach has the farthest range, and therefore I can defend the ship or support you guys from a distance. Also, I'll have breathing room to assess the situation and determine appropriate courses of action.

"Shinn, Stella, you two will take the fight to the enemies. I've seen how well you two work together, so I know you guys will watch each others' backs. Also, your suits are built for those kinds of fighting situations.

"Kira, the Strike makes your situation unique. As your equipment is interchangeable, you're able to fit into just about every role. But that also means that I'm not quite sure where to put you exactly."

Kira already had an idea. "Well, with the Supplice Striker I can fulfill an artillery role. Aile can allow the Strike to fight alongside the Estoc and Raid. Or with the Launcher I can sit back with you and protect the ship. As for Sword, unless it's a close-quarters I don't see it being used outside of certain situations."

"What about the Glint?" Mayu asked.

"I don't know," Mu said, crossing his arms. "Kira, what's the deal with that Striker?"

"It's a trump card," Kira answered. "Its weapons were created to counter Phase-Shift technologies –at least, that's what Murdoch was telling me. But because they use so much power, its battery life is actually half that of the Striker units. The only times we'd be able to use it is if we're desperate or short on time from the onset of the battle."

"Could we possibly use it more if we could switch it out?" Shinn suggested, info about the Glint luring him back into the conversation. "You know, like that one time when we catapulted the Launcher Striker?"

"Not feasible," Mu countered. "Kira would have to line up with the catapults. During which, there's a four to ten second interval that the enemy could take advantage of, either by destroying the Strike or the Striker unit. Trust me, we've considered it."

"I think overall," Kira said, returning to the original topic, "I'd probably use the Supplice or Launcher more just to bring some firepower to the team, depending on the situation."

La Flaga nodded in approval. "Yeah, so as long as the situation doesn't become specialized, I think we can rely on some firepower. With Stella being the speed, Shinn working close-quarters, and myself at long-range, some oomph would be a welcome addition. Now that that's all cleared, anything that needs to be added?"

Receiving no replies, Mu ended the meeting.

"And the meeting is over!" Shinn cheered, jumping out of his chair and rushing towards the hangar.

"Stupid Gundam junkie…" Mayu murmured, chasing after at a more sedated speed.

Mu heard Mayu. "Gundam? Is that some kind of model kit?"

Kira chuckled as he stood. "No, it's what we call the mobile suits. If you take the first letter of all the words at the startup screen, it'll say 'Gundam'."

"Gundam…?" Mu knitted his eyebrows as the word rolled off his tongue. He then nodded in approval. "I like it, much catchier than G-weapon."

-0-

It was another day on the _Archangel_. Breakfast was a quiet affair with all the pilots in a team meeting and working on their respective suits afterward.

Just an hour before noon, though, Lacus hit a rough spot during her stay on the OMNI ship.

Lacus sighed as she went down a hallway, her ever errant Mr. Pink on the loose. Like she predicted, it had been only a matter of time before the locks Kira made were broken. Although it was slightly entertaining, it only served to make her wonder why Athrun decided to build a lock-pick into her machine. Maybe he was an evil genius and just didn't like to show it? Whatever the reason, Mr. Pink's romps weren't always fun.

As she wondered where her playful machine wandered to, she heard voices coming from the cafeteria. Normally not one to eavesdrop, Lacus for some unknown reason couldn't stay her curiosity.

Nearing the entrance of the mess hall, Lacus made out a group of voices talking amongst each other. She couldn't identify the voices, though, but she identified them as younger than other members of the crew.

"…Flay, you're not being fair," chastised a female voice. "What has she done for you to say such rude things?"

_I wonder who they're talking about_, Lacus thought.

She was about to move on until she heard the next sentence. "I don't care! She's a Coordinator! There's no telling what she can do!"

Lacus frowned, realizing they were talking about her. She moved to stand in the doorway, finding a group of OMNI soldiers. Though, all of them looked to be simple teenagers. Maybe these were the people Kira fought so hard to protect… But, one of them didn't sound very friendly. If Lacus had to guess, it must've been the civilian.

"Excuse me," Lacus kindly said, garnering everyone's attention.

Immediately, the group jumped away from each other, surprised by her sudden appearance. All of them were shocked by her presence –then again, she was supposed to be locked in her room. Among the gazes she was received, the redhead's made her the most uncomfortable.

"Have any of you seen a little pink machine come by here?" Lacus asked. "I'm afraid that he escaped me again, and I can't seem to find it."

"No," the redhead bitingly answered with narrowed eyes.

Lacus sadly frowned at the girl's hostility. Maybe she should've kept walking down the hallway…

"I'm sorry," a boy with glasses kindly told her. "We haven't seen anything like that come by here. We'll let somebody know if we do find it, though."

"Thank you very much," Lacus said, politely bowing before she left the room.

Just as she turned the corner, Lacus heard the conversation restart. She knew she should've walked onward, but…

"Flay, that wasn't nice," the other girl chastised.

"She shouldn't be on this ship in the first place," the redhead muttered. "Personally, I almost wish she stayed in that lifeboat."

"Flay!" came an unpleased, male voice.

For some odd reason, Lacus felt a sting in her being.

"Then what about Kira, Shinn, and Mayu?" said another boy, the one that hung around the brunette female. "They're Coordinators too."

Silence reigned. Lacus wanted to hear what the girl had to say. After all, those pilots diligently protected everyone aboard. What did this girl, a Natural, have to say about a Coordinator being her only hope to remain alive?

She wasn't the only one. It seemed that the others in the group were eagerly awaiting her answer.

Finally, the redhead spoke up. "They… scare me… a bit."

Lacus couldn't take it anymore. She walked away, hoping to find Mr. Pink and get back to her room, and to do so quickly.

That was unfair. The knowledge that there were people aboard this ship that didn't appreciate Kira and the others' work almost brought a tear to Lacus' eyes. Did those people deserve the services they willingly gave them? No… but if he didn't fight, the people aboard this ship, both civilian and soldier, would fall to ZAFT's attacks.

"_Be happy!"_ sounded a familiar mechanical chirp, bringing Lacus back to reality.

Of all the people she'd been expecting to have captured the machine, she was surprised to see the captain of all people holding it out to her.

"I'm starting to believe what Kira and you said about it hacking locks," Murrue said amusedly.

"Thank you, Captain Ramius," Lacus said, taking the pink machine in her hands.

Murrue sighed. It looked as if the rumors were true about the Haro being an unparalleled escape artist. Kira was going to have to put some seriously powerful locks on the door to prevent another incident.

"Murdoch found it floating inside the Strike's cockpit of all places," explained Murrue. "He saw the open cockpit and got curious, finding this little guy in there. It wasn't doing much, just bouncing and making noise. Now, let's get you back to your room. I'll have Kira change the locks again."

"Okay," Lacus agreed with a nod.

The majority of the walk was silent. Although Lacus would've liked to start a conversation, she wasn't sure how to go about it. Miss Ramius seemed nice enough to talk to at least –compared to the XO, she was much less intimidating.

Despite the many things she would've liked to ask, Lacus had one question on mind.

"Captain Ramius," said woman stopped to look at the young lady she was escorting. "What are your thoughts on Kira and the other pilots?"

Murrue looked caught off guard by the question. "Why do you ask?"

Lacus looked towards the direction of the mess hall they passed by, distracted for a reason Ramius couldn't put a finger on. "It's just that, there are many people aboard this ship that seem so weary of them. I just don't think it's fair for them to feel that way, especially after they've done so much."

Murrue frowned sadly. "I see… I supposed I shouldn't be surprised that some people still feel that way around Kira and the others, but it can't be helped I guess." The captain then lightly smiled. "As for what I think… I believe this entire situation to be unfair to them. They're doing so much and we have so little to offer. They shouldn't be here as much as any of the other teenagers present on this ship. If circumstances hadn't been as drastic as they'd been, I'd never have asked them for help."

"I see…" Lacus muttered, looking down towards her robot as she traced circles with her finger on the top of her Haro.

"_Upset! Upset! I will not accept!"_ chirped her little machine, flapping wildly.

Lacus lightly smiled. "I should cheer up. There are still many people here who depend on Kira."

Murrue nodded in agreement. "You have no idea. If it wasn't for him, we would've died long ago. Now, let's get you to your room."

Lacus nodded and followed the captain to her assigned quarters, all the while reminding herself to keep watch on Mr. Pink until Kira could change the locks.

Not long after the door closed, Murrue heard singing echoing through halls.

_**Author's Notes**_: Well, this chapter took longer than I originally anticipated getting out, but that's all right. A lot of character development here, some humorous notes here and there… it's just one of those chapters that builds up for the next one or two.

Lacus interacted with most of the team, predominately Kira. Shinn becomes the butt of everyone's jokes for a little while, Mu thinks Kira and Lacus make a cute couple, and Stella played with Haro while starting her journey to discover a reason to fight. Oh, and Heine Westenfluss joins the fray alongside Talia Gladys. Talia's appearance, though, will be brief.

A major deviation from the original SEED storyline is Rau's newfound desperation to kill Kira. Thanks to Durandal's interference, Rau will take a more active role to defeat the team. And I only planned Durandal to make one more appearance towards the end of the storyline.

The RAVU 's background will be explained during its deployment. There's a particular reason for why I'm using the RAVU over the GuAIZE.

When I say 'black box', I'm referring to Kira's SEED and Newtype abilities. 'Black box' is a colloquial term for anything that can be viewed solely for its input, output, and transfer characteristics without understanding the systems inner workings; in other words, a black box's implementation is 'opaque' or unclear. Anything can be a 'black box.' The human mind itself is a black box, which is why we dedicate so much research into it today. The opposite of a black box is a 'white box.' So there's your weird term of the day.

As a heads up, here within the next couple of chapters I intend to take a short break from this story to work on some of my other works in effort to prevent burnout. I'm already feeling it setting in and I don't want that to happen. It'll probably be after Kira activates his SEED abilities for the first time.


	10. Phase 10: Hyperventilation

"Ma'am, radar has picked up three signatures. All of them are identified as Earth Alliance ships," an officer announced.

Talia frowned. "All the way out here? That's strange…"

Shifting in her seat, the captain pondered possible reasons for OMNI presence in the middle of nowhere. Three ships was one too many to be considered without direction. Although going around them was the preferred course of action, it was too suspicious to be ignored.

"What should we do?" another soldier asked.

"Contact the _Vesalius_," Gladys ordered. "See what's happening on their side."

No sooner did Rau Le Creuset's face appear on the screen.

"_Ah, Talia, you have excellent timing,_" he greeted. "_I was just about to contact the _Andoryan_._"

"Any ideas for Earth Alliance presence all the way out here?" she questioned.

Rau smirked. _"Relief ships. I fully believe they may be meeting with the legged ship. If my hunch is correct then we should take this chance to eliminate a major threat to the PLANTs."_

"What of Miss Clyne? I understand taking advantage of the situation, but if I remember correctly her rescue is our top priority."

"_We'll rescue her, but this detour is an absolute necessity. We may not have another chance like this. Prepare your pilots. We're attacking."_

-0-

"What's going on?" Murrue asked as she walked onto the deck and took her place in the captain's seat.

Romero turned towards her with a smile. "Ma'am, we're receiving a transmission. It's from the Eighth Fleet!"

Murrue nearly jumped from her chair. "Patch it through!"

Static filled the bridge speakers. "Arch… gel_… Come… _Archangel_… This is… _gomery_…_" said a voice, growing clearer and clearer. "_Come in _Archangel_… This is the _Montgomery_. We've been dispatched to rendezvous with you and escort you to the rest of the Eighth Fleet._"

Relief flooded Murrue as she leaned back in her seat. "Oh, thank God."

"It seems that our luck is finally turning around," Mu said as he watched the excitement spread.

-0-

Everyone was excited. Shinn wasn't.

"What? My father's coming?" Shinn tilted his head towards Flay's excited voice, half-heartedly listening in on the conversation.

"Yes," answered Sai. "He's with the advance force coming to meet us."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I bet he had no idea that you're on board. We just forwarded our crew and passenger lists."

The ruby-eyed teen sighed as his fork danced in his potatoes.

He should be excited alongside everyone else. Mayu and he would go home, tell an exciting story of how they got roped into piloting an experimental machine and besting ZAFT with it. Mom and Dad would ask how he did it. He'd then brag about how awesome he was, followed by Mayu slapping him over the head while saying she had her own role too. Everything would be _normal_ afterward.

Shinn's frown deepened.

Normal… Such a stupid, _boring_ word…

Giving up on his food, the Asuka set his plate with the dirty dishes and exited into the hallway. Distracted, he let his legs guide him to a destination. Not surprisingly, he found himself in the hangar, looking up at the Raid.

A sigh escaped as he leaned against the railing. "I'm… going to miss this."

Being a soldier didn't appeal to Shinn, not after all that stress. He could do without the war, dying screams, or destruction. No… what he fell for was piloting itself. The Raid had become an extension of himself. The G-forces pounding his blood, the excitement of outmaneuvering an opponent… He practically lived for it now.

The thought of some ill-trained fool sullying _his_ cockpit burned Shinn. He just hoped the bast-

"Why are you here?" Stella asked, causing Shinn to jump into the air.

"Don't do that!" Asuka said, becoming sheepish as he realized his lack of footing. "Uh, could you get me down?"

The child solder obliged, setting her squad member on the platform. With a sigh, Shinn retook his place against the railing. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Stella copy his movement, her attention shifting to the Estoc.

It was strange to see Stella not shadowing Kira. Possibly, the older teen might be nearby, but there was also a chance he was preoccupied with Lacus. Or it could have something to do with the relief fleet.

"Hear about the relief flight?" Shinn began in attempt to break the ice, turning to Stella.

She nodded.

Unsatisfied with the lack of a spoken answer, he went on. "It kinda' sucks. We're not going to be pilots anymore after this. Kira and the others will probably go home too. What about you?"

Loussier saddened. "I'm a soldier. I have to continue piloting, even when you and Kira are gone."

"Oh yeah," Shinn almost smacked himself for forgetting such a significant detail. "I forgot about that. Are you… going to miss us after we leave?"

"…I'm not sure."

An awkward silence befell the pair.

She wondered if the answer was the right one. It may've been the truth, but she knew _regular_ people liked to hear expressive, hopeful words concerning separation such as 'I'll miss you' or 'I hope we meet again someday'. Stella, however, was nothing but realistic. In all likelihood, they'd never meet again. And she _really_ didn't know if she'd miss them. However, it'd certainly be outside habit to wake up and see faces that she associated beyond 'soldier' or 'trainer' now.

Being with them _did_ enlighten her. The longer she stayed with them the more her world shattered, replaced with a horizon of self-discovery and emotional exploration. Nothing the base trained for had prepared her for the chaotic whirlwinds of war.

Still, some questions remained unanswered…

"Why do you fight?" Stella suddenly asked, her eyes leveling on the Raid.

Asuka blinked at the odd question.

"Why do I fight?" He mulled it over in his head like a food-taster carefully picking apart a dish, choosing words to describe the flavor. "Well, I want to protect Mayu. And maybe… everyone else too. I don't want to see anybody die."

"So, you fight so that nobody has to die?" An unsure tone peaked through her words.

"Yeah. I… it's hard to watch anyone die," Shinn's voice was almost a whisper. "Especially if it was someone close to you."

"…I see."

-0-

Lacus looked towards the doorway as lunch was brought in. To her delight, it was Kira, also holding his own plate.

"How has your day been?" Lacus pleasantly asked as she was handed her food.

Kira sighed with a contented smile. "It's been okay. With us meeting up with the Earth Alliance, everyone's pretty excited. I'll be glad once I'm out of that cockpit."

"Where's Stella?" the pinkette asked, surprised at the young teen's absence.

Yamato frowned as he took his seat. "I don't know. Ever since we got news about the relief fleet, I haven't seen her once."

Lacus took some bites, hesitating, though, as she remembered her encounter with Kira's friends yesterday. The hesitance didn't go unnoticed. Kira was quick to note the change in demeanor of the normally cheerful pop star.

"What's wrong?" Kira asked.

The pinkette smiled warmly. "There's just been a lot on my mind."

"I know the feeling," Kira agreed.

Silence fell over the pair like a silken cloak as a frown reappeared on Lacus' face. She watched in amusement as Haro bounced around Birdie, the robotic bird cocking its head at the strange automaton. Even as she stared at them, though, she aimlessly pondered.

"Kira," she said, garnering his attention. "What do you think of this war?"

Putting down his fork, he frowned as he contemplated the question. Looking up, he could see Lacus still distracted by Haro and Birdie, but no doubt she was listening intently.

Even Kira wasn't sure of what he thought of the war. It seemed like yesterday he was a simple college student. Suddenly, he was unwillingly thrown headfirst into the conflict between OMNI and ZAFT. He wouldn't have touched the Strike after his first romp with it, but necessity had trumped desire. If his friends weren't in the equation, he wouldn't be in this situation.

"I never imagined… I'd become a part of it," he whispered, staring down at his food.

Lacus turned her eyes to Kira. There was an expression on her face he couldn't identify. Pity? Sorrow? Maybe empathy?

"I… honestly don't understand why everyone is fighting," continued Kira. "Do you know why?"

Lacus shook her head, frowning softly. "I don't know either."

"If I knew, maybe I could tell you."

"I can understand that," Lacus said. Her frown saddened as she looked out the window at the stars shining brightly on a canvas of black. "But what I don't understand is why neither side is willing to throw down their weapons. It feels like everybody has lost their true reasons for fighting."

"Lacus…" Whatever words he chose to speak got lodged in his throat.

"But for those that are fighting to listen to you, you almost need an unsheathed sword in your own hand. It's so sad, really. If you had a way to change this war, would you take it?"

Kira looked taken aback the question. Not once did he ever think of involving himself in the conflict. He was always content with his laid back life in Heliopolis. But, if given the chance, would he –_could_ he- change the tides of war?

"Maybe…" he slowly began, searching for the right words. "Maybe... if I knew what I was fighting for."

Lacus nodded, seemingly pleased with his answer.

The rest of their time was spent in silence.

-0-

Heine began the start-up procedures as he strapped himself in. Outside, the strip of cameras that made up the 'eye' of the RAVU lit up, blue unlike other ZAFT machines. The engines within the wings flared, like a young bird opening its wings for the first time.

It wasn't much different than a GINN or a CGUE, but the RAVU had a certain ease in its controls that the older suits lacked, not to mention a variety of advanced (if hastily made) beam weaponry. Radar was improved to be cleaner and crisper, targeting devices were more advanced, etc. For a soldier fresh out of the academy, the RAVU was the epitome of ZAFT avionics.

That being said, Heine could only wonder what piloting the Earth Alliance prototypes was like. If this was state of the art, then what were the OMNI suits?

Le Creuset's voice echoed through the comm. _"I will be launching with you. Follow my orders and the legged ship will fall."_

"_What's the plan?"_ Rusty questioned.

Mackenzie's dislike for Rau wasn't a secret. However, the belligerent teen was certainly a professional during combat, setting aside all ill emotions and concentrating only on what stood before his path. Rusty measured his use as a soldier with his skills on the field. Heine could respect such qualities.

"_Zala, Mackenzie, both of you will take out the ships,"_ Le Creuset ordered, easily sliding into his position as a commander. _"The GINNs will eliminate the rift-raft, but do expect enemy mobile suits to join the fray. After we've lured it out of hiding, Westenfluss and I will assault the legged ship and its mobile suits. After the relief ships are destroyed, everyone will converge on our target. Am I clear?"_

"_Yes sir!"_ Athrun immediately said.

"Got it!" Heine added.

"_As if I had a choice…"_ Rusty muttered. Although seemingly a professional, that said nothing about his tongue.

"_Oh, and Athrun…"_ Rau added before Heine could flip off the comm. unit.

"_Sir?"_ Zala carefully addressed.

"_Don't hesitate, not for a second,"_ Rau warned. "_If you do not perform as expected, I will take care of Kira myself._"

Silence. Then a tone laced with hesitation. _"…I understand, sir."_

Heine could only wonder what that was about.

-0-

"Three silhouettes detected at long range. Identifying now. They're the _Montgomery_, the _Bernard,_ and the _Law_," Romero announced, the excitement in his voice barely contained.

"Looks like we've made it," said Murrue as relief flooded her.

Seconds later, a mere sentence shattered all hopes of safety. "Ma'am! We're detecting high levels of N-jammer interference!"

Murrue's eyes widened. "What?"

"I'm detecting heat signatures from the advanced fleet. It looks like a battle is breaking out," Jackie explained.

"Ma'am, a message from the _Montgomery_. Reads: Cancel rendezvous. Continue to the 8th Fleet on your own," Romero added.

"Damn it…" Murrue growled. "How many enemies are there?"

"Two _Nazca_-class warships are positioned near the fleet. It's… It's the Aegis, Maul, and two unidentified mobile suits! The second _Nazca_-class is launching eight GINNs!"

"Shit," Ramius breathed.

"Your orders Captain?" Badgiruel asked.

Murrue remained silent for a minute. "Our luck has run out again. There's no guarantee that we would be able to escape safely if we fled now. The Le Creuset Team, alongside an additional squad… We have our work cut out for us." She took a deep breath. "All hands, level one battle stations! The _Archangel _will provide reinforcement for the advanced fleet."

-0-

"_In this corner: eight GINNs and four experimental mobile suits alongside two Nazca-class carriers,"_ Rusty broadcasted, adopting a ring announcer's voice. _"On the other side of the ring: three Alliance ships with outdated Mobius units."_ His voice shifted to serious._ "…God, they've got to be shitting themselves."_

"_I agree_," Heine said, _"What we're doing is almost overkill. If the legged ship chooses to retreat, there will simply be no hope for our enemies."_

Athrun couldn't help but agree. "Yeah…"

Coordinators fought in small numbers, simply because of lacking resources and manpower. It wasn't uncommon to see a single _Nazca_-class and its mobile suit contingent fighting against two to three OMNI ships and their numerous Mobiuses. However, that was considered an even battle. With superior weaponry and piloting skills, a single ZAFT squadron could lay waste to an enemy unit.

Zala heard rustling from Rusty's link. Probably a shrug. "_As much as I hate to be the resident sandbox bully, I'm paid to do this. Oh well. Tally-ho!"_

Like a raptor in the sky descending on its prey, the Maul broke off from formation. Breathing deeply, Athrun transformed the Aegis and followed suit.

-0-

He'd hoped to be rid of this machine by the afternoon, but that's must've been too steep a wish for any deity to fulfill.

The Strike dropped onto the catapult, jarring Kira from his mental complaining. The side panels opened revealing two assault rifles being handed off to the Strike; behind, a backpack descended, a grenade launcher on the shoulder and two missile containers at the sides. It was the Supplice Striker.

On the other catapult, the Estoc readied to launch alongside its steel brother. Unlike normal, though, it was already in mobile armor form to quickly meet the enemy. Its powerful thrusters were already alit in anticipation.

"_Kira,"_ Mir said over the screen, _"there are a lot of enemies out there alongside the Maul and the Aegis. Be careful._"

"I will," Yamato comforted.

"_Remember kid,"_ Mu interjected_, "you're fighting alongside Stella and Shinn. You're acting as the heavy hitter. While you guys are out there, I'll be staying here to cover the Archangel and prevent any suits from getting near while providing cover fire. Do your best to cover the ships. And try not to get locked into single combat with the Aegis or the Maul."_

"Got it." Kira turned towards the catapult.

Just before he could launch, Flay's voice came on the radio. _"Kira, my dad's out there. Please… promise me he'll be alright."_

Yamato smiled. "Don't worry about. I promise everything will be alright."

"_Thank you."_

With no more interruption, he willed the catapult to launch him into the fray.

-0-

The battle was turning like clockwork, much to Rau Le Creuset's satisfaction. Although the legged ship hadn't revealed itself yet, he was sure it wouldn't escape and leave its allies in distress.

Numerous Mobius units met them head on, but the GINNs quickly cut through them like a sickle through wheat, Heine and him joining in the reaping until the prize revealed itself.

Rau watched as Athrun sped ahead and fired the Scylla three consecutive times at the first ship. Five seconds later, it exploded. For not the last time, Le Creuset marveled at the power of the Earth Alliance prototypes.

Rusty moved to the closest ship, trailing along it while damaging its hull with the Maul's numerous weapons and stripping the ship of its defenses. Satisfied, he pulled back and fired two tarantella missiles. The missiles flowered, unleashing numerous little bomblets that quickly met their target at the weakened armor and destroyed it. Although not as clean as Athrun's kill it was spectacular nonetheless.

"_All that we've got left to peg is the flagship,"_ Rusty announced.

"Excellent," Rau praised "continue the-"

The klaxons screamed. On sheer instinct, Rau dodged a missile that screamed past the RAVU and clipped a nearby GINN, destroying its left side but leaving it functional. Not a minute later did the Estoc appear skirting the edge of the battlefield to eye its opponents.

"The legged ship has joined the battle. Stick to the plan," Le Creuset ordered.

Heine and he broke off just as the Strike and Raid moved to defend the flagship, dodging through a sword swing and several beam shots from the oncoming mobile suits. The Strike turned to give chase, but the Aegis caught it mid turn. Free of interference, Rau and Heine rushed to the magnificent white and red ship.

His awareness flashed just as the ship came into view.

"Evasive maneuvers!" Rau screamed, already in the middle of a roll.

Le Creuset expected a familiar flash of orange to barrel down on them in typical Mu La Flaga fashion. That didn't happen. Instead, in the blink of an eye a single beam reached into the abyss like a spear of light, piercing the white RAVU's leg and flash melting it.

Heine's voice echoed into the communicator for all to hear. _"Uh, I think we've got a problem, sir… They recovered the Reach somehow. Using its range-_"

Another shot screamed towards their direction. Both RAVUs flew apart, but the beam still clipped Heine's right wing.

"_Holy shit!"_ Heine almost screamed. _"It's accurate! I've never seen any suit with those kinds of capabilities!_"

Following the trail of the attack, Rau spotted the bane of his existence. In place of the signature Mobius Zero was a black and green cloaked mobile suit perched atop the legged ship, a rifle aimed towards their general direction.

"I see you've got a new toy, Mu La Flaga," Rau noted, sweat rolling down his face.

As if to answer his questions, the crest fell over the Reach's eyes, revealing a camera that reflected the white RAVU. With the enhancement to his sight, La Flaga took aim and fired.

-0-

"You've gotta be shitting me!" Rusty moaned. "They recovered the Reach!"

"_It is official: I hate incomplete intelligence_," Athrun said.

"I second that notion!"

Mackenzie then rolled out of the way as something dark-blue and white rushed him.

"Oh, great," Rusty groaned, "this guy again…"

The Maul jumped to the side as the Raid swiped downwards and then to the left. Mackenzie blocked with his shield, getting shoved back. To counter, Rusty raised up his shield-mounted Gatling cannon. However, when he pulled the trigger nothing happened.

"What the fu-" he almost broke the button in an attempt to activate his weapon.

Only then did he notice the deep scar that cut halfway into his weapon, disabling it.

-0-

The Aegis and Strike danced in a deft display of acrobatics and maneuvers as beams framed their waltz, both suits working tirelessly to sneak past the other.

Athrun switched on a private link. "Kira, why do you fight for the Earth Alliance? They're only using you!"

"_No!"_ retaliated Kira's stressed voice. "_My friends are on that ship! I'll protect them, no matter what!_"

Zala maneuvered around several missiles, firing the Igellstellungs to destroy them, but the smoke parted as several beams speared towards him; one managed to clip the skirt armor.

"Give up!" Athrun retaliated by firing at the Strike.

The Strike jumped backwards, countering with its Ogoto grenade launcher. The glowing projectile whistled before colliding with the Aegis's shield and exploding, rocking the Gundam into an uncontrolled spin. Athrun barely got the Aegis under enough control to transform it and dodge the numerous beams screaming towards his direction. Barely getting a lock-on, Zala fired the Scylla at Kira, but the Strike rolled past the blue/red beam.

-0-

As Kira and Shinn distracted the Gundams, Stella was left to swat the GINNs, a task far more difficult than she expected. Half of the annoying suits swarmed around her like a death of crows, looking for an opening to exploit while distracting her from the others that were picking apart the flagship.

However, the Estoc was an eagle among the pestilent blackbirds.

In its transformed state, the Estoc escaped the fur ball and turned to retaliate. Just as the GINNs turned to give chase, Stella transformed back into suit form and armed the Ruda cannons, both weapon barrels appearing as the wings folded into place. Skipping the reticule, she fired several beams into the group, scattering them. One shot severely crippled a GINN, forcing it to retreat.

However, once they regrouped they converged on Stella, swarming her like angry bees. With a growl, she switched tactics and began performing hit-and-run tactics with varying success.

-0-

The Reach's precision was astonishing as its range. Even while maintaining a safe distance away from the Archangel, ZAFT's latest and greatest models couldn't escape the long-reaching hand of Mu's Gundam. They strafed, rolled, and dived through yellow/orange spears of condensed light, but almost every attack seemed to nip the RAVUs. Nothing detrimental, but each gouge of slag and melted steel seemed inches closer to the 'sweet-spot' –Mobius pilot slang term for the cockpit, the major weak point of any mobile suit.

For the first time since Endymion birthed their bitter rivalry, Mu felt the tempo of battle falling within his hands. Rau Le Creuset was no longer the top predator.

"A little closer…" Mu whispered as he watched the reticule quiver while chasing the white RAVU.

Another spear lit the abyss. Another roll saved the white suit.

Piloting the Reach was a different ballgame entirely compared to the Mobius Zero. With the Zero, how many bullets did it take to down an enemy? Too many for Mu's taste. The Reach only required one well placed bullet.

One more beam of light, this one arcing towards the orange suit. It dived, but a foot flash melted nonetheless.

He never remembered concentrating so much on firing a single bullet. The Zero was 'shoot em' up and see what hit later,' but the Reach only had single, powerful shots with incredible range. Going from gung-ho shooter to sniper was an almost extreme shift in roles, but it wouldn't be a lie to say that he was quickly getting comfortable with it.

"Come on," Mu muttered as the reticule followed Le Crueset's movements. "Just a little closer and I'll shove this rifle up your ass and pull the trigger.

-0-

"Okaaaaay…" Rusty took a deep breath. "Evidently, we didn't know everything about the Raid's swords."

He needed more time to analyze the Raid's orange-glowing weapons, a difficult feat considering that the Raid wasn't giving him any leeway.

"Overeager bastard…" Rusty groaned, dodging another attack and countering with the chest-mounted Gatling.

Within seconds, he broke down the capabilities of the swords with his gifted mind, all the while continuing to dodge attacks. They used heat to flash-melt metals, giving the illusion of cutting. Because they were solid, anti-beam coatings were rendered useless. All the major defenses they had against close-range weapons were effectively useless against this one suit. The others weren't going to like this…

"A new suit and weapons that screw us over…" Rusty griped. "Knowing my luck, the pilots are also some kind of experiments."

The Raid readied to perform a scissor attack, leaving its chest opened to an attack. Just as the swords swung, Rusty pulled out the shotgun, but the Raid activated the micro-thrusters on the right leg, spinning and gouging the Maul's legs while dodging the load of shot.

"Okay, no more Mr. Nice-Guy!" Mackenzie said.

In his typical fashion, Rusty opened up all guns and fired at the Raid, causing the suit to retreat and put the Maul on the offense. Before he could give chase, the Raid pulled out a pistol from the small of its back and opened several rounds to end Rusty's assault.

"A pistol too?" Rusty deadpanned. "Shiho's gonna have a hay-day with this info."

"_How ya' holding up, kiddo?"_ an older GINN pilot questioned, watching from his end as the Maul and the Raid traded beam fire.

"Halfway expecting a kitchen sink to come flying at me at this point," Mackenzie answered, not sounding as amused as his statement might've suggested. "Seriously, all advantages we've had are screwed over now."

"_Keep going,"_ the older pilot urged. _"We just sent the attacking coordinates to the _Andoryan _to fry that last ship_."

-0-

The _Andoryan_ squeezed its way into the fray as several of its GINNs circled the Nelson-class like a hive of angry hornets, biting off the defenses and leaving the prey vulnerable.

"Ma'am, we've got the targeting coordinates for the enemy flagship," an officer in the CIC announced.

"Alert our forces," Talia ordered. "Once they acknowledge, punch the hull of the enemy ship."

The GINNs quickly made themselves scarce as the _Andoryan_ approached with its cannons lining up for the shot.

Once all was in place, Talia made the order. "FIRE!"

Twin beams of light arced into space, reaching the enemy almost instantaneously and exiting out on the other side. Unable to remain stable, the enemy ship blew up.

-0-

Kira felt his blood run cold as Flay's scream tore through the communication channels.

Despite tears staining the edges of his eyes, he fought on. The controls, once so easy to manipulate, moved like lead attached to iron bars. Battle noise was drowned out by the sound of his failed promise to Flay, each echo stringing him deeper into despair.

Athrun wasn't making it easier. His hits were coming harder and faster. The destruction of the flagship only spurred Athrun as Kira's capture came ever closer.

-0-

Stella needed to maintain her composure. If the dying screams remained in her head, her thanatophobia might reappear from some godforsaken corner of her mind and distract her. Shaking her head, Loussier blocked out the memory of hearing the soldiers sing their death songs over the radio.

She wasn't going to die like them. Neither were Kira, Shinn, or Mu. They were too strong for that. But there was a small voice that whispered otherwise.

Sweat beaded down her face as she gripped the controls harder, steeling herself for the bitter fight ahead.

It was a mess. There was no way they could regain control of the situation now. With no targets to keep them occupied, the GINNs turned their attention on the Gundams. With the Raid and Strike being distracted, they could get picked off by the vultures that circled them waiting for the moment an opportunity presented itself to step in. Another set of GINNs moved past the warring Gundams in favor of joining the assault against the _Archangel_.

Her alarms then declared the situation to be going even worse. The Estoc was running low on power. And if her suit was, no doubt the Raid and the Strike were fairing little better.

_I don't want to die!_ Stella mentally declared, her shots becoming more frantic.

-0-

Victory was within his grasp. The legged ship would sink, Mu La Flaga would drown with it, and his plans could continue without road bumps. However, there was one issue that still plagued him…

"Heine," Rau ordered, "take over the fight. The GINNs will join you shortly. I've got something to take care of since Athrun isn't willing to."

"_Yessir!"_

Le Creuset rolled the RAVU and sped past several GINNs joining the fight against the last ship. Mu didn't like his actions, displaying his dissatisfaction by firing several sloppy shots in quick succession. Rau slipped around them, which only spurned several more to trail after.

"Sorry, La Flaga," Rau said in a condescending tone. "But I have some other matters to take care of."

Returning his eyes to the front screen, he watched as the Raid waltzed around the laser fire of the Maul and the Estoc futilely firing its cannons at the GINNs floating around. Nearby, the Aegis and the Strike danced around each, every beam fired and saber swing carrying a note of hesitation.

As if sensing his approach, the Strike spun to face him, but it was too late as Rau swung out a beam saber and pulled back to stab the cockpit through.

"_KIRA/WATCH OUT_!" cried a cacophony of voices. It was music to Rau's ears.

"_Attention ZAFT Forces,_" said a female officer over the comm. "_This is the Earth Alliance warship, _Archangel_. We have on board Lacus Clyne, daughter of PLANT Supreme Council Chairman Siegel Clyne._"

His beam saber stopped just several feet away from the cockpit.

-0-

The hectic battle suddenly went silent, as if somebody had flipped an 'off' switch. The GINN's lowered their guns as they halted. All Gundams stopped, though still looked tense as they eyed their enemies.

The scene was so surreal that La Flaga almost wondered if someone had miraculously stopped time.

Simultaneously, the weight of the situation smacked his brain back into reality.

"Oh, boy," Mu groaned as the Reach's stance relaxed. "This isn't going to go over well…"

"_YOU_ _BITCH_!" Shinn screamed, confirming Mu's fears.

-0-

The pause was enough for the Strike to recover and immediately peg Le Creuset with several rounds and top it with a grenade that Rau barely dodged, though the explosion rocked the RAVU off balance.

"Dammit!" Rau cursed as he righted the suit and flew towards safety.

"_What?"_ Rusty almost screamed. _"You friggin' cowards!"_

"_A most dishonorable move,"_ Heine agreed.

Several of the GINN pilots also voiced their distaste for the sudden move, some shouting curses and others mocking the Naturals for having to rely on such a tactic.

"Withdraw for the time being," Rau ordered, already approaching the _Vesalius_ while mentally cursing several divine entities. "Any hostile movements are likely to put Miss Clyne in jeopardy."

Once his comm. unit shut off, Rau slammed the nearest screen with a fist.

He'd been so close…

-0-

The Aegis and Strike stared at one another, weapons at the side.

"_Using a rescued civilian as a hostage…_" Athrun said over the comm., his voice barely a whisper. "_So, do you still feel justified in fighting by their side with these cowards?_"

"Athrun… I…" Kira tried to defend, feeling stricken and numb.

"_I'm gonna rescue her,_" said Athrun. "_That's a promise._"

The Aegis retreated.

Author's Note: You know, when summer rolled around, I expected to put in some serious hours writing and reading. Didn't exactly happen. I ended up taking that break sooner than I wanted. However, I'm here now with several chapters in the works and that's what matters. I'm not here to talk about my personal life.

Anyways, chapter analysis time! Mostly battle with some character development. Shinn acknowledges his love for piloting; Stella is still searching for answers; Kira is unsure about the war. Oh, and Shinn's dislike for Natarle is about to come to a head.

This raises a new question: how is Flay going to be affected in this story? I'm sure Shinn and maybe the others won't approve of her manipulations. It'll definitely be something to watch.

_**Archangel Database**__**:**_

**ZGMF- Y2047 RAVU**

**Model Number**: ZGMF-Y2047

**Code Name**: RAVU

**Manufacturer**: Integrated Design Bureau

**Operator**: ZAFT

**Current Pilot:** Rau Le Creuset [Coordinator, ZAFT Identification Number: Unknown]

**Head Height**: 17.18 meters

**Approx. Standard Weight**: 64.8 MT

**Accommodations**: Pilot only, standard torso cockpit

**Powerplant**: Ultracompact Energy Battery

**Armor**: Phase-Shift Armor

**Role**: Multi-role

**Standard Armament**: X2 Beam Saber, Shield, 57mm High-Energy Beam Rifle

**Special Equipment and Features**:

**Notes:** As the Bloody Valentine War progressed, the GINN and CGUE steadily became outdated. To achieve a machine capable of surpassing the major workhorses of the military, ZAFT offered a contract to any company that might build a newer, stronger machine. The competition was narrowed down between the GuAIZ and the RAVU; despite being the arguably superior machine, the RAVU lost out to the GuAIZ due to radar issues during its testing phase.

Unlike the GuAIZ, the RAVU is a multirole machine, able to fight in multiple areas without the aid of support machines, including atmospheric sorties. This is due in part to the unique stabilizer wings and extra boosters.

Like the GINN, the RAVU can use a large assortment of weaponry ranging from the absolute basics to D-equipment. However, upon the capture of the Earth Alliance prototypes, the equipment for all known models was upgraded for combat with the escaped suits. Rau Le Creuset's personal model, as of this moment, maintains the basic, balanced armament of a beam rifle, shield, and twin beam sabers, derived from the GAT-X102 Duel.

_**Database Requires Further Updates. Signing Off.**_

The RAVU is a hybrid of sorts between the ZGMF-515AS CGUE Assault and the AMF-101 DINN. The armament is fairly basic at the moment due to ZAFT trying to hurry and get the machines out there, but eventually they'll be further upgraded for the pilots' personal taste.

The back story of the RAVU is actually similar to the case of the YF-22 Raptor and the YF-23 Black Widow II. Although the YF-23 was considered superior in speed and stealth, the F-22 won out in the end anyways due to being more agile.


	11. Phase 11: Eclipsed

"What the hell was that, Badgiruel?!" Murrue snarled.

Both occupied the captain's office, Natarle standing at attention while Murrue sat behind her desk, arms folded and a scowl etched into her face.

"The battle took a negative turn," the ensign calmly answered, looking the least bit perturbed by the meeting. "We lost three ships and were about to lose Kira Yamato and the Strike as well. I admit my actions were hasty, but I do not regret them."

Natarle cared little about being vilified. In the end, the only thing that mattered was the outcome. They were still alive, none of their pilots were lost, and their mobile suits weren't heavily damaged. And if she had to look like a bitch for it then… so be it. Admittedly, she wasn't fond of the tactics needed to escape the bleak situation, but desperation is an interesting motivator.

Murrue sighed, running a hand across her face. "Nonetheless, I'm sure ZAFT isn't happy. First chance they could, I don't doubt they'll try to end us. Even now they're trailing after us."

"But they won't touch us as long as Lacus is unharmed," Natarle added.

"That's well and good, but what happens if they decide Miss Clyne is expendable?" Murrue shot back.

Natarle winced. "They wouldn't. She's Siegal Clyne's—"

"This _is_ a hostage situation. Typically, moments like these don't end well for one party, and in the worst case scenario both parties are negatively affected. And let me remind you that Rau Le Creuset is the commander trying to head our destruction. He might be able to convince them that Miss Clyne isn't important enough to impede his mission."

"I—"

The door to the office suddenly opened, revealing a red-faced Shinn. The moment his eyes fell Natarle, his visage morphed into an angry lion's, a matching growl rising from his throat.

"_You bitch_!" he roared, charging at Natarle.

Just he coiled his legs to leap at her, Mu, Kira, Mayu, and Murdoch sprinted into the room and dog piled the young teen; Stella stood at the doorway, passively watching the escapade with a face scrunched in confusion. Shinn squirmed in a vain attempt to free himself, but everyone held him down as Kira moved to put the squirming Asuka into a headlock, the younger boy thrashing wildly and a foot connecting with Mu's chest and knocking the wind out of him.

Frustrated with her brother, Mayu marched over to hide. Making sure to avoid his flailing, she slapped him with enough force to jerk his head to the side.

"OW!" Shinn cried, tears stinging the edge of his eyes as a red mark developed on his jaw.

"Get a grip!" Mayu ordered.

"But she—!"

"Will you just shut up and use your brain for once?!"

Murrue face-palmed. "Kira, please take Shinn to the brig. I'll decide his punishment at a later time."

Kira nodded, leveling a glare at Natarle as he left the room. Mayu and Murdoch followed, beaming their own heated sights. The only one that didn't seem perturbed was Stella, who offered a confused glance to the superior officers as she trailed after the others. The officers' eyes trailed after them until the door closed from behind.

"The kid's got some strength…" Mu mumbled, rubbing the spot that was likely bruising. He turned Murrue and Natarle. "Sorry about that. Shinn kind of didn't take the whole hostage situation well."

Mere minutes ago, Shinn Asuka had the audacity to attack a superior officer, and his squad leader was merely going to leave it at '_sorry'_ on his behalf? Oh, no. Not after the horrible day she was suffering through. A little justice in this crazy world shouldn't be too steep a request to fulfill!

For once, Natarle's reins on her temper loosened.

"I hope you realize how close Asuka was striking me," Natarle bit. "You should keep a tighter leash on your pilots."

Mu looked taken aback, but kept his voice even. "Look, I'm not the one who took a hostage, a hostage—I'd like to inform you—that's friendly with my pilots. If you had a friend that was being used as a human shield, wouldn't you get a little upset?"

"Oh, so you're letting your pilots get comfortable with our enemy now?"

"Okay, that's uncalled for. Does Lacus Clyne look like she could hurt a fly? I think you're being too uptight about this—"

"You're right, because if I wasn't it'd be anarchy on this ship."

"They're civilians—kids no less! What do you expect them to do?! Weren't you a teenager once?"

"They should know better! We're fighting a war—"

"Natarle!" Murrue snapped, her patience finally frazzled and frayed. "If I remember correctly, Mu La Flaga is a superior officer. And if my hearing isn't lying, I'd say you were talking to him as if you were higher ranked than him."

Then ensign was quick to shut her mouth and keep it closed.

The captain wearily sighed. "Ever since Heliopolis it's been one stressful situation after another. And unfortunately, we're stuck in another one of those moments. The last thing I need is both of you to start bickering like children. Not only that, I want to remind you that Kira and the others are both young and civilians—they shouldn't be here to begin with. Yes, Shinn has acted against protocol and I expect Mu to do something about it."

* * *

"I can't believe she did that!" Mayu growled. "Taking a hostage!? The hell was she thinking?!"

"Did you just cuss?" Shinn noted, raising a brow at his sister's unusually wild mouth.

"Oh, can it, Shinn!" his sister ordered. "I'm not the one in the brig."

Shinn grumbled several rude words under his breath.

Indeed, the elder Asuka was situated comfortably behind an array of metal bars, sitting on a bench as he watched the others. His squad members stood just outside the holding cell, cooling down after saving Natarle from bodily harm. Murdoch had retreated back to the hangar once everything reached peaceful levels.

Like Shinn, everyone was outraged by Natarle's actions. Taking a hostage defied all values of honor. They were soldiers (_volunteer_ soldiers, but soldiers nonetheless), not random criminals.

"I was almost tempted to let Shinn go," Kira said.

"You should've!" Shinn interjected.

"Shut up, Shinn!" Mayu turned back to Kira. "Eh, that probably wouldn't have been a good idea. You would've been blamed to if Shinn threw Miss Badgiruel into an airlock."

"True…"

Yamato was as upset as Shinn—if not more—though his emotions were better reined than the elder Asuka's. Of the squad, he'd become the closest to Lacus, and to see the pink princess being taken hostage was mortifying. Athrun's promise still rang strong in his head like a church's mournful bell; Kira had no doubts that their struggles reached an apex, finally to the point where death was an imminent threat to both combatants.

Stella simply cocked her head, confused about the whole situation.

"So what now?" Shinn asked, getting up from his seat and walking over to the bars. "I mean, ZAFT _has_ to be royally pissed about this."

Kira sighed. "I don't know. They're not going to attack us as long as Lacus is aboard. But they're following us, probably waiting until we do something stupid."

"Man, this is a huge mess," Shinn said. He then turned to Stella. "What about you? What's your thought on this?"

Stella hesitated. "…It's confusing."

Mayu blinked at her answer. "How come?"

The blond tugged at the hem of her jacket—the sleeves were very restricting to movement; she'd fix that later. "I don't understand it. We are okay. So, why is everyone so angry?"

Truthfully, Stella couldn't feel resentment for Ensign Badgiruel's actions. Although not the most proper course of action, it served its purpose. There were no casualties in what had become a mess; three ships were picked apart and they almost lost a pilot.

Ever Stella's big brother figure, Kira explained. "By taking Lacus hostage, she became involved in a war that isn't hers. Innocent people should _not_ have to fight; they're not soldiers."

She cocked her head. "But we're all alive."

Yamato grimaced, rubbing his temples as he tried to give the situation perspective. "It's… complicated. I mean, none of us got hurt, but the way it happened isn't right."

Stella slowly mulled over his words, seeking clarity behind his anger over the situation.

At the very least, it made sense. Not everyone was capable of fighting; not all could hold a gun to someone's head. Hostages were different, though. Their lives were gambled by people they didn't know, both evil and good. Sometimes they come out alive; other times, they were another casualty. Thus it wasn't fair to them.

Still, outcomes were outcomes. Stella was happy everyone survived a hopeless situation. Full comprehension of everyone's emotions was just out of arm's reach; it was another subject she added to her ever-lengthening list of subjects to sleep on.

"I see…" It wasn't the truth, but the topic needed dropped.

"Still, this idiot could've made it worse," Mayu pointed over her shoulder at her brother.

Said idiot was pressing a rude face against bars aimed at his sister. As if psychically aware of the action, Mayu spun and punched a bar. The vibrations made Shinn stumble backwards while stringing foul words together. The interactions between the siblings lightened the heavy atmosphere with a round of healthy guffaws, even from Shinn.

* * *

Kira had ended up separating from the others, reaching Flay's room a bit sooner than he would've liked. He was stepping from the comforting atmosphere of his fellow pilots and into a fire of anger and betrayal. It was a meeting he wasn't looking forward to.

"LIAR!" Flay shouted the moment he walked through the door.

Sai barely missed restraining her as she jumped Kira, throwing him to the ground and violently snatching his collar.

"You promised that nothing would happen to my father!" Her eyes shined with rage. "But you weren't even trying! It's because you're a Coordinator, just like them!"

Flay collapsed next to him on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably as she buried her face in her hands. "It's your fault! It's your entire fault!

Kira shook uncontrollably, feeling trapped as his soul shuddered at the sight of the sobbing girl. Sai shot his friend a sad frown as he attempted to comfort Flay, but the emotional redhead shrugged him off and ran out of the room.

Sai somberly sauntered over to his friend. "Kira, look its—"

He didn't need to say more as Kira rushed out, futilely trying to escape a nightmare that wasn't going to end any time soon.

* * *

Kira had to bite back a scream of frustration as he stood on the observation deck, frantically running his hands through his hair in an attempt to loosen the memories lodged painfully in his mind. He finally couldn't contain any longer as a roar escaped his throat as his hands whipped down to his sides, tears staining the edges of his eyes.

Everything just kept going wrong. Enemies with his best friend, piloting an experimental machine unwillingly, and betraying his friend's trust… Was there no end to the miserable merry-go-round?

"Are you okay?" questioned a sweet voice.

Turning to the newcomer, he found Lacus staring at him with a mixture of curiosity and worry. Haro orbited her head like a little satellite, chirping and whirring.

"Was it Haro again?" Kira asked, as he wiped away the tears, his voice slightly amused despite its tremble. "Man, how many times am I going to have to change those locks?"

Lacus giggled with a tint of concern at the edge. "I was worried. I heard a loud cry from this direction and went to investigate."

"I see," Kira said. "Well, I still have to take you back to your room."

He grabbed her hand without thinking to whisk the princess to her room. Realizing his actions Kira almost jumped away, a blush on his cheeks. Lacus, likewise, had her own rosy blush dusting her face. An uncomfortable silence befell the two as Kira sheepishly rubbed the back of his head while Lacus became distracted by the stars merrily blinking through the windows.

"I see that the fighting has ended," Lacus said, distracting them from their earlier interactions.

Kira sobered as he joined Lacus to admire the twinkling tapestry. "Yeah… I guess so. Thanks to you, of course."

"You seem so sad about it," Lacus noted.

"… I'm tired of the fighting," Kira explained. "I'm tired of fighting a war that's not mine, I'm tired of fighting my best friend… I'm just tired of this entire thing."

The pinkette frowned, turning her attention to her fellow Coordinator. "Your best friend?"

"Yeah," Yamato answered. "His name's Athrun." Lacus' eyes lit up in recognition. "He's the pilot of the Aegis, the red mobile suit that was out there."

Lacus mentally digested her new discovery. This was unexpected. The entire experience must've been painful for Kira.

"Now I understand why this is so difficult," she stopped him, grabbing him by his hands. "What's clear is that you and Athrun are very good people. That reality makes this so sad."

"You know him?" Kira asked in astonishment.

"He is to be a part of my life," Lacus answered. "Athrun Zala is the man I'll be eventually marrying."

The floor had been ripped from under them. However, their emotions were well masked as neither could tell what the other thought.

"He's kind but is very quiet," Lacus said, breaking the tension.

Kira lightly laughed, though it sounded strangely hollow. "Sounds like him."

The princess of the stars grabbed her Haro, the little contraption offering an _'I don't wanna_!' as she did. "It was very sweet of him to give me this Haro. I told him how much pleasure it brought me since I'm alone all the time. And then he kept giving me another and another."

Kira smiled, imagining Athrun holding dozens of Haros in his arms as he walked up to Lacus' driveway. He could see Lacus accepting them cheerfully, a flock of the silly things chirping around them.

"Is that right?" he said with a laugh. "Sounds like Athrun hasn't changed one bit. I was lucky enough to bring along my Birdy, which he also made."

"Oh? Is that so?" Lacus smiled at his now cheerful demeanor.

"_Damn it_!" Haro chirped, seemingly jealous of the mechanical creature.

But the events of earlier replanted themselves in Kira's mind. "But now… we're…"

Everything was unfair. The war, Lacus being taken hostage, fighting Athrun… He wanted to escape from this rondo of madness.

No. He couldn't break away from it. Not right now. But maybe—just maybe—he could make things right.

* * *

"Please, just let us go, Tolle," pleaded Kira, inwardly cursing for having been caught by his friend. "You know this isn't fair to her."

Lacus nervously stood behind Kira, trying to keep her Haro quiet.

Tolle peered at Kira analytically. The moments stretched out for what seemed to be an eternity.

"I guess we're the bad guys this time, stealing the girl away," he finally said with humor. "Maybe you've got plans to steal her back?"

Kira looked up, suddenly hopeful.

"I'll help you," said Tolle. "Follow me, I'll keep watch."

They turned the corner, only to stop in front of a flustered Mayu and Stella.

_Crap_, Kira moaned in his mind.

First it was Tolle and now it was his squad mates. Maybe he could—

"Oh, uh… Hey, it's nice night, right?" Mayu nervously said.

"You were following us, weren't you?" Kira face-palmed, knowing he should've seen this coming.

"You make it sound it like—"

"We were," Stella answered, her voice becoming icy while ignoring Mayu's hiss to be quiet. "You're about to commit treason. Why?"

Upon witnessing Kira attempt to free Lacus and return her to ZAFT forces Stella almost instinctively acted as protocols dictated. It was a rather simple: liquidate him for betrayal against the Earth Alliance. She already had fourteen ways to effectively kill him with as minimal effort as possible.

However, one thing stayed her instincts: her natural curiosity. Rebellion always intrigued Stella. It was forbidden fruit innocently dangling from a branch just out of reach; every time she'd reach out for it, the hand of discipline—a limb attached to the trainers of the base—would swat away her fingers before they could even graze it. But here was Kira parading with such a fruit within his hands, bite marks breaking its delicate skin. She was so close to tasting it, understanding rebellion's illicit delight.

It took several seconds for Kira to remember that Stella was a soldier. No doubt, his intended actions were reckless. One mishap would be enough to lose his life, and possibly the crew members. Stella might've identified his mutinous actions as hazardous to everyone and would take required steps to prevent any damages.

Offhandedly, he wondered just how dangerous Stella really was.

But Kira wasn't dissuaded. He'd fix the situation for Lacus' sake.

"Because I want to do what's right," Kira answered her with conviction.

It caught Loussier off guard. "…What? I… don't understand. How is this 'right'?"

Right… It was some stupid idea that the base skipped over, instead defining what was wrong and what made situations such. The only thing that mattered was completing the assigned mission. Anything less was considered wrong. This _wasn't_ right. This was mutiny, disobeying orders, defying the natural order! For Stella, it was a complete deviance of everything ingrained in her being.

She had to squash down every reflex to put a knife through Kira's throat as he gently grasped her shoulders.

"Stella," Kira explained, "This isn't fair to Lacus. She can't fight; she's just a civilian at the wrong place at the wrong time. How would you feel if you put into a situation you couldn't control, but your life was being determined by it?"

"I…" Stella's eyes danced as she chose her words. "… wouldn't like it. It'd be scary."

Death was Stella's one true fear. As a soldier, she was putting her life on the line for a nation and ideal she represented, but at the very least she could control the odds of living by simply being a better pilot with a matching machine. So as long her enemies weren't invincible, Stella felt no qualms about raising up a gun.

But what if that power was taken away? What if it was being gambled and nothing could change the odds? Stella felt fearful at the mere thought, which raised the question of how Lacus felt about the entire situation.

And suddenly it all clicked. All questions of why everyone her copilots felt so negative about hostages were answered. All questions about what was 'right' made sense. The clouds that shielded the horizon were blown away by the winds of understanding.

But it was a more than a horizon. It was the start of a new world.

Stella knew what needed to be done.

"The right thing…" she rolled it off her tongue, each syllable so alien yet so crisp. "…I understand now." Her eyes steeled themselves. "I want to help."

* * *

Both lieutenants sat in the captain's office, quiet as the day's events replayed through their heads. Whether they wanted to admit it or not, the battle went every other way but their own. The battle, already a right mess by the time they arrived, turned tragic with the death of Flay's father. Although upsetting, Natarle's actions saved the entire crew of further catastrophe, especially Kira who was almost dealt a deathblow.

Mu sighed tiredly, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Murrue. Only then did she notice the dark bags under his eyes.

"Go get some sleep," Murrue ordered.

"This coming from Queen Workaholic?" Mu amusedly questioned. Indeed, she looked just as tired. "You should think of taking your own advice. Besides, I'm still riding out the emotional high from earlier."

"As am I," Murrue sighed, leaning back in her chair. "I don't think I'll be able sleep for a little while."

Silence drifted over the pair like a suffocating plastic bag.

Ramius broke the silence. "I wish we took another course of action.

Mu smiled softly. "You know, someone once told me that to keep going, you work with what you've got. Sometimes, the cards we're dealt aren't winning hands, but you do what you can."

"Like what?" She tilted her head.

La Flaga shrugged. "Depends."

"So helpful…" she said while rolling her eyes.

A comm. unit came to life. _"Uh, Captain?"_

"I don't like the sounds of that…" Mu muttered as Murrue walked over to the unit.

"What is it?" she curtly questioned.

"_Uh, does the ship have a master key of some sort?"_ Arnold questioned.

The captain raised a brow.

"_Uh, we got locked out of the bridge and we can't—wait, is that…? What're they doing launching the Strike!?"_

Murrue and Mu shared a wide eyed glance before Ramius all but teleported to her desk to dig out something to open the bridge.

* * *

"Kira, you're cleared to launch," Stella announced over the microphone, her fingers flying across the keyboard.

"_Thank you, Stella,"_ Lacus offered.

The pilot's voice followed. _"Kira Yamato, Strike launching!"_

Loussier didn't offer anything back, though a smile tugged at her lips.

Looking out at the inky darkness, Stella watched as the Aile Striker's engines glow hot as it cleared the leg of the ship and launched into the vast emptiness.

While Mayu allowed the Strike to clear the cradle in the hangar without damage, it'd been Stella that sneaked into the CIS and readied the catapult. All undesirables were locked out so that nothing interfered.

Of course, that didn't stop Murrue and Mu getting onto the bridge, via the master key to the ship.

Stella's impeccable mind quickly and efficiently mapped every option and possible consequences. Of the twenty-nine plans that came to mind, Stella chose an option not listed among them.

She blew a raspberry at the lieutenants.

* * *

"Quite the mess in our hands… Wouldn't you agree Captain Gladys?" Rau sighed, crossing his arms as his sight turned onto the screen displaying Talia. "With Miss Clyne aboard the legged ship, actions against the enemy are ill-advised as it'll create unnecessary danger to her. However, we also mustn't allow that ship to meet with the Earth Alliance."

Athrun and Rusty floated off to the side, their nerves noticeably more shot than the communing captains.

Mackenzie sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "God… I still can't believe the Alliance pulled something like that. Taking a hostage… I thought they had more balls than that. I gave them _way_ too much credit."

Zala ignored the firebrand, his mind wandering elsewhere. _Are you regretting your choice now, Kira?_

On the stage of war, ZAFT was the protagonist and the Earth Alliance the villain. Kira hadn't understood that, playing a role not his own and fighting for the enemy. The very people he willingly served to protect were, in the end, cowards that resorted to darker tactics for their ends. It took a shocking scene for Yamato to realize it. Just like the Bloody Valentine was wakeup call for Athrun… Would he continue to fight against his own people? Would Kira finally realize his mistake?

"Uh, could we possibly raid the ship and get her out?" Ades suggested, floating near Rau. "A single squad might be able to get her out of there."

"_Possibly…" _Talia considered aloud. _"However, they're probably watching us as much as we are them. Us following is enough to make them uncomfortable; if they so much as see us make one move out of line, it could turn tragic." _The captain pursed her lips, the mounting aggravation showing. "_If we can't extract Miss Clyne, it'll be a blow to the PLANT's moral. This isn't something we can simply screw up; there is no room for error here."_

"Very shrewd observations," Rau complimented, his own mind analyzing the situation.

Oh, the possibilities this situation presented! Lacus sorrowfully dies at the hands of Earth forces, ZAFT mourns the loss of their beloved idol, and the fires of war burn even more out of control… It was a tragedy worthy of Shakespeare. This would work wonderfully for—

Klaxons screamed, silencing Le Crueset's musings.

"Sir, incoming mobile suit!" someone from the CIC announced.

"Identify it!" Ades ordered.

"It's the Strike! It's, uh, hailing us."

"Let's hear it," Rau ordered.

"_ZAFT vessels,"_ Athrun tensed in recognition of the voice while Rusty felt his eyebrows rise to his hairline, "_this is the pilot of the Strike. Do not shoot! I have Miss Clyne aboard. I wish to transfer her over to you. Cut your engines and send only the Aegis._"

_Of course, the demon-spawn has to go and ruin everything… again_, Rau mentally bemoaned. It was quickly becoming a running theme that Kira ruin his plans at every corner and no word could aptly describe the commander's frustrations at the meddling.

"Sir?" Athrun prompted.

"…Very well," Rau agreed. "Prepare to deploy the Aegis."

When Athrun and Rusty left the brig, Le Creuset turned towards Ades.

"Prepare my RAVU," Rau ordered.

* * *

Nothing prepared Kira for the suffocating tenseness within the vacuum of space as he approached the enemy ships, precious cargo aboard. The entire plan was Stupid (with a capital 'S'); they wouldn't dare lay a hand upon him while Lacus was aboard, but once she was off… well, that was a different story. Athrun wouldn't harm him, but the other ZAFT soldiers had no such qualms.

Offhandedly, Yamato wondered how his old friend would react to a pregnant-looking Lacus; her space suit wasn't exactly made to hold a dress.

_Here he comes_, Kira noted as his radar announced the Aegis clearing the _Vesalius_.

Yamato felt the sweat rolling down his face as the crimson mobile suit appeared several miles away.

He knew the risks. One mistake. That was all it would take for everything to be shot to Hell.

Three miles…Two Miles… Five hundred feet…

Just as the Aegis approached, both suits suddenly braked and brought their rifles to bear. Like familiar warriors greeting another on a battlefield, the two suits stared at the other daring one to make a move. But there would be no blood today. The intentions were nothing but peaceful, but that was no reason to drop the weariness the other felt.

On the ships, everyone witnessing the spectacle held their breaths.

"Athrun, open your cockpit," Kira ordered.

In compliance, the cockpit's hatch opened. Kira felt a pang of sadness as the cameras zoomed in on Athrun, close enough that he could identify his friend's signature emerald eyes.

What madness brought them to this point? How could Fate with its twisted amusement pit them against each other like this?

Squashing his feelings, Kira opened his cockpit as well, the vacuum of space almost instantly devouring the atmosphere with a roar. Taking Lacus' hands, he maneuvered the idol into view of Athrun who stepped out of his cockpit. Just over her head, Haro floated in a wild spin, the pink automaton quiet for once from the lack of air.

He turned to Lacus. "Say something."

"Huh?"

"He can't see your face from here," explained Kira. "He has to confirm that it's you."

"Oh, I understand now," said Lacus. She waved to the Aegis pilot. "Hello Athrun, it's me! It's very nice to see you again!"

Athrun sighed and visibly relaxed. "You're okay."

"Ready to go?" Kira asked Lacus.

"Yes, and Kira… thank you so much," Lacus said, offering him a bow of head. "You're such a kind person; it really is tragic that you have to dirty your hands in this war, just like Athrun."

"Your welcome," he offered back. "Okay, let's get you back home."

The seconds it took for Lacus to clear the gap between the two mobile suits was the most agonizing minute Kira ever endured. All remained silent on the ships as onlookers watched as the exchange neared completion. Finally the weight of the entire situation lifted off Kira's shoulders as Lacus entered into Athrun's waiting arms (and like he predicted, the look on Athrun's face upon seeing the dress-stuffed space suit was priceless).

Lacus offered him a good-bye wave, an action Kira reciprocated.

"Kira," Athrun called out, "when we fight again, I won't hold back!"

"Neither will I," Kira said.

Both retreated back into their cockpits, strapped in, and watched as the mobile suit opposite of them began floating backwards, the machines' gaze lingering.

And then everything spiraled out of control.

"_KIRA/WATCH OUT!"_ warned the Archangel crew.

Only by instinct did he turn to receive the attack: A white RAVU that plowed into him and drove him away from the Aegis.

Kira's enemy pulled a beam saber, prompting the violet-eyed teen to do the same. Pressing on the boosters, the two suits charged at each, bouncing sabers and backpedaling, repeating the procedure several times before Kira replaced his weapon in favor of the beam rifle. He fired several rounds, but the white suit deftly weaved through the rain of light, pulling out its own beam rifle and firing several rounds that Kira expertly maneuvered around.

"_Hold on kid!"_ Mu La Flaga said. "_I'm on my way!"_

Kira felt sweat beading his brow as he deflected a saber swing with his shield. "_Please hurry! I can't hold him off for long!_"

* * *

"Rau Le Creuset, please stand down!" Lacus demanded, but the commander ignored the order and continued his assault against the younger Coordinator. "Please! Stand down!" Still, nobody listened. "H-He's not listening to me…"

The Strike and the RAVU viciously traded blows, beam saber against beam saber. Both jumped back, only to begin the dance anew.

Not once had Athrun seen his commander attack with such ferocity and intensity. Every blow was calculated, every step led into a killing move, and every breath was a measurement of power. Even against a superior machine, Le Crueset was setting the pace of the fight. It was a reminder that Rau Le Crueset was their leader for a reason.

Even more astounding was the fact that Kira was keeping up. Yes, he was on the defense, but that mattered little. Commander Le Crueset was the one of the best for a reason, with experience and skill to bear against the Strike.

Still, the commander was whittling away at Kira's defense. Before long, his friend would fall before reinforcements arrived.

"Athrun, stop them!" Lacus cried.

He hesitated, but accepted regardless. "Alright!"

How much flak was he going to catch for this one? A lot of things could happen to him. But none of that mattered at this point. Kira was in the middle of a death match and Athrun didn't want to see his friend die, not yet at least.

He was going to make Rusty proud in the next minute.

"Kira," Athrun spoke into the comm. unit.

"_I'm a little busy here!"_ Kira shot back, his voice echoing stress and frustration.

"I'm sorry for everything going south," Zala continued. "I'm going to help you. First chance you can, get the hell out of here!"

* * *

He was so close. One wrong move on the Strike's part… that was all it would take to rid the world of Hibiki's abomination. After Kira was removed from the picture, his plans could continue without interruption.

"You're putting up a better fight than I imagined," Rau grudgingly noted as he pulled a joystick and dodged another beam.

Suddenly both combatants flew backwards as a beam split the fight like an axe coming down on a block of wood. Rau followed the trajectory to the raised beam rifle of the Aegis.

"Athrun Zala," Rau growled out," what is the meaning of this?!"

To make matters even more frustrating, he watched as the Strike turned tail and retreated back to the legged ship where the Reach greeted it, bringing its rifle to bear to eye the RAVU and Aegis. Should they make any movement to follow, the hunter-green suit would assuredly begin trying to peg someone with condensed photons.

"_Forgive me, Commander,"_ Athrun apologized. _"The situation is delicate enough as it is, and we have yet to bring Lacus back to safety. A stray shot could've endangered her life."_

_"Commander Le Crueset,"_ Lacus interjected,_ "please end this fighting. I was returned unharmed; it would only be fair to leave them alone this once."_

Rau took one last look at the Strike hovering into the waiting catapult and the watchful Reach on the ship, holding back every desire to smash a screen in frustration.

"… Very well," Rau relented.

It seemed Kira wasn't the only one capable of ruining his day…

_Author's Note:_ Here it is, the latest chapter. Finally, in a handful of chapters, we'll close this arc and enter a new one. And then, things _really_ change. At this time and point in the story, it's fairly difficult to branch off, but after these next couple chapters, the effects of having such a larger crew and with such diverse characters is going to be felt. Very hard.

And next chapter, one of the most key changes in the SaBS universe will occur. It will be subtle, but the consequences will be far reaching.

Stella is an interesting character to write in this particular story. She thinks logically with numbers and strategies, all of which determine desired outcomes; she also binds herself to rules and orders because of training and conditioning. But then there's her curiosity which conflicts with her logical way of thinking. For me, it makes her a very intriguing character. However, it's the reason why this chapter took so long to release; I was trying my hardest to capture Stella's thoughts and conflicted feelings. To make the scenes simple and less profound would've been an insult, and even might've spoiled the story.

You probably won't notice it, but the chapter's title is a tip of hat to the Evans Blue song of the same name. Great song to listen to while going through this chapter.


	12. Phase 12: Amethyst

Murrue lost count of how many times she'd sighed. Every time she raised her eyes to chastise the four rebels, the words holed up. Mu hid his face in his palm, trying but failing miserably to hide a smile that beamed with embarrassment, pride, and humor. Natarle, on the other hand, alternatively glared holes through each of their skulls. She was probably also privately wondering what crime in a past life she committed to land herself amongst the most perturbing of individuals and situations.

The Captain demurely laid her pen down. "Mu, what have you been teaching these kids?"

Said lieutenant shook his head, having long expected that question—his own record wasn't exactly perfect. "Hey, I didn't do anything. I've said nothing, did nothing, and have diligently tried _not_ to set a bad example. I really have been trying to act like a responsible adult."

"All four of them! _All! Four! Of them_!" Murrue emphasized.

"I didn't help these guys," Shinn quietly commented. "I was already—"

Kira clapped a hand over his mouth. They were in _deep_ crap as it was. Thus there was no need to make it worse by letting Shinn run his mouth. Asuka retaliated by sticking his tongue through his fingers, making Yamato retract his hand in disgust.

"Okay, teamwork won't ever be an issue. Maybe they have a 'share victory, share defeat' philosophy… or something like that, I guess," Mu offered weakly in explanation.

Murrue raised a brow. "Are you suggesting that you go down with them? I'd be happy to oblige since you _are_ their squad leader."

_Oh, she's good_… he mentally admitted. "Oh, that's okay. I don't mind abandoning ship this once."

Mu didn't need to look to know that three sets of eyes were glaring nukes at his head—Stella was likely off in her own little world, again.

"Can we _please_ get back onto to topic!?" Natarle snapped.

Murrue sighed—how many times was that now? "Right. Well, under normal circumstances, we'd have a mock trial. However, due to the parties involved and their circumstances…" she looked at them in turn, "I'll let you off easy. But let me remind you that this could've been much uglier. To put it in perspective, Shinn would've been charged with attempted assault against an officer. Kira would've been executed for treason. And finally, Mayu and Stella would be arrested for aiding a traitor. However, because you're all civilians and the one that _is_ a soldier is still a minor, these charges do not apply to any of you. Please consider your actions from now on. Mu, as your squad captain, will determine your punishment. Dismissed."

The teens heaved a collective sigh. All of them knew it could've gone far worse, and if the _Archangel_ wasn't so strained for pilots that might've been the case. Murrue was giving them a mere slap on the wrist and none were going to question it.

Just as they walked out the door, they were stopped by Sai who was followed closely by Mirialli.

"Hey guys," he greeted. "How did everything go?"

"Eh, could've been worse," Shinn answered, shoving his hands in his pockets like he had no care in the world.

"Sounds like you've been to the principal's office one too many times," Mirialli noted as she moved from behind Sai's back.

Mayu rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding me? It's like a bi-weekly occurrence with this guy! You should hear how much my mom screams at him."

"Hey!" Shinn shouted indignantly, earning snickers from everyone.

"What's the punishment for you guys?" Sai asked.

"Whatever I decide," Mu interjected as he floated between the two groups. "It'll probably be worse than what you guys got. I was thinking about mobile suit cleaning duty—_with a toothbrush_."

This earned groans from all the pilots (except Stella) and lone mechanic.

"Still, stay out of trouble guys. I don't want my own ass on the chopping block next time." With that, the lieutenant floated away.

Natarle followed shortly behind the lieutenant, glaring harshly at each of the pilots in turn as she moved out of the captain's office. Shinn and Mayu glared back, though Kira only offered a frown. Silently, the ensign went down the hallway.

The teens watched as, strangely enough, Stella turned to follow the ensign.

"Suddenly, cleaning toilets doesn't sound so bad," Mir broke the silence with a lighthearted smile.

"Thanks for reminding me," Shinn groaned.

Mayu put her hands on her hip. "Well, Shinn and I are going to go run some programming with the Raid."

And the siblings then departed towards their own direction. The remaining teens turned to leave.

"I don't see why they're still messing with the Raid," Sai noted. "With the Eighth Fleet approaching, none of this will matter anyways."

"Eh, it never hurts to be safe than sorry, I guess," Mir offered.

They were silent for several seconds.

Sai broke the quiet with an observation that'd been bothering him for a while. "Look, Kira, Kuzzey heard you talking to that girl, Lacus."

Kira gave him a carefully-guarded stare.

"We heard the pilot of the Aegis is a friend of yours," Sai continued.

Yamato flinched, halting as the question hit several tender spots in his emotions. "I…"

Mir offered him a sad smile. "Hey, it's alright. You've been keeping us safe, even though someone you know is fighting against us. Thank you, Kira."

Sai also sadly smiled. "Yeah, I wish we could do more for you."

The coordinator didn't know how to react. They knew, but they didn't see fit to worry. Rather, they offered condolence.

Didn't they realize how sorely tempted Kira had been to accept Athrun's offers to join the PLANTs? No, they knew he could've made that decision at any time. But even with that knowledge, they kept faith that he'd continue to defend them. Yamato wished he had that kind of faith in himself.

"Thanks, guys," Kira quietly said, wishing he could fully express what he was feeling.

"No problem. Anyways, we've gotta report for our shift on the bridge. Don't work too hard," Mir said, both turning towards their intended destination.

Nobody noticed Flay as she hung back against a corridor wall, one of her fist clenching.

* * *

It was evident in Natarle's stiff posture and deep frown that she wasn't a happy camper.

Inwardly, she had wanted harsher punishments for the teens. Their stunt endangered everyone, and yet again they almost lost the Strike and Kira because of an unpredictable opponent. If she'd been the captain, Natarle would've ensured no one was spared. Still, they _were_ civilians and the one that _was_ a soldier didn't fully understand the ramifications of her actions. Military protocol wasn't exactly ingrained into their being.

"If it's any consolation," chimed a voice from behind, startling Natarle, "your actions were strategically effective."

Turning, Badgiruel relaxed upon spotting Stella. However, the young pilot's seemingly innocent gaze held a certain soul-piercing depth to it that left the ensign mentally edgy.

Sometimes it was easy to forget that Stella Loussier was probably the most dangerous person aboard the _Archangel_.

"Really now?" the elder of the two sarcastically drawled. "I'm glad that somebody appreciates what I do on this ship."

She turned to leave, but when Loussier spoke Natarle's leg muscles suddenly locked. "Thank you. It was wrong, but thanks anyways. Nobody died."

Natarle didn't immediately identify the emotion that blossomed in her chest upon hearing Stella's words.

…Yeah, it'd been the wrong maneuver to take a hostage. Everyone's disdain ensured Badgiruel knew it. However, the gamble everyone hated somehow managed to keep those same people alive. Loathe it, appreciate it… Whatever anyone felt, Natarle couldn't regret a decision that most likely saved the _Archangel_.

"…You're welcome," she offered over her shoulder, earning a light smile from Stella. _Maybe I'm being too hard on those kids…_

Except for Shinn. That one deserved a swift kick in the ass.

* * *

"They recovered the Reach!?" Yzak almost shouted at the screen displaying Talia Gladys.

"_That is correct_," the captain confirmed.

Hovering within arm's reach of Joule was Shiho, a grimace marring her features as she analyzed the data and combat video being displayed beside Talia's image. Nicol was studying the map display and Zelman keenly watched the back and forth of the younger soldiers.

Dearka, leaning on a seat, scratched the back of his head. "So… what does that mean?"

Shiho quickly answered. "It means our opponents got a lot more dangerous."

"Well, fill us in," Elsmen urged. "What the hell does it do? You weren't exactly descriptive back at Artemis."

"That's because I only had a handful of specs back then, all of which came from the other MSs' databases," the lone lady redcoat shot him an annoyed glance from the corner of her eye. "But from what I'm seeing from the combat data here, it's range is theoretically farther reaching than we anticipated. Not only that, its targeting system is impressively advanced. It took the highest number of crippling shots during the fight. Besides that, I can't tell you much more. Likelihood is that the Reach will be perched atop the legged ship as a defense, which will make approaching either target drastically more difficult."

Nicol cut in for the first time, looking down at the map console as he spoke. "Then how are we supposed to pull off a last-minute operation like this? Ten minutes is all we've got before we enter the moon fleet's firing range. If our targets have increased strength, then what can we do?"

Talia sighed. "_I was hoping someone over on the _Gamow_ would be able to answer that. We've been drawing blanks over here since this sortie was suggested._"

Yzak shrugged. "We've either got just ten minutes or a full ten minutes. It just depends on how you look at it; if we've got a window of opportunity, we should take it."

"Your eagerness is noted," Shiho interjected. "But their worries are far more justifiable. A ten minute operation at most could cripple them. But do we really want to settle for a flesh wound when we want a kill?"

Joule muttered some insults under his breath directed towards the lady redcoat, but didn't counter her.

"How's the _Andoryan's_ squad by the way?" Zelman questioned.

Talia pursed her lips. "_Only half of our contingent is still operational. Three of our GINNs were crippled in the last sortie and won't be operational in time for this battle. Another one is currently experiencing malfunctions._"

"Lovely…" Yzak groused.

"Ooh, I got it!" Dearka broke in, garnering everyone's attention. "How about as we approach the legged ship, we have our squad somehow mask support fire from the _Gamow_ and _Andoryan_? And then we have Nicol attack the legged ship with its invisibility. Plan enough for you, Shiho?"

Said female rolled her eyes. "No. That's about as harebrained as they come."

A light bulb suddenly went off in her head.

All ensuing conversations silenced as everyone watched a calculating smirk slowly tug at Shiho's lips. "No, that won't work…. But might I offer an alternative?"

* * *

"God, what I would've given to take a shot at Le Crueset like that," Rusty praised, floating alongside Athrun down the hallways of the _Vesalius_. "Unlike you, though, I would've actually tried killing him."

Athrun sighed, once again reminded of why he was on cleaning duty. "It could've been worse, I guess. They could've arrested me instead of making me clean toilets."

"My brother, you have been baptized!" Mackenzie preached like a southern pastor. "Now that you'll be cleaning toilets like me, I can officially dub you a hooligan!"

"That's a scary thought…"

"Seriously, though, we got her highness back," Rusty noted, easily sliding into a more serious persona, "and you're being a moody sonuvagun."

"I have a lot on my mind," Athrun said, earning a roll of eyes from his squad mate. "And quit referring to Lacus like that."

"Make me. Besides, she finds it—AH!" Mackenzie was smacked in the head by a fast moving, pink projectile.

"_Hello! Haro!"_ it proclaimed.

Athrun tried holding in his laughter, but failed.

"You _stupid_, pink piece of—Oh, hey, princess! How are you?" He paused mid-baseball pitch with the chirping automaton bearing a sheepish grin as Lacus turned the corner.

"I'm doing well, Mr. Mackenzie!" Lacus cheerfully said. "And I see Mr. Pink got you again."

"…I just thought you should know I owe revenge on your navy-blue one too," Rusty groused as Haro chirped a "_Let's play again_!"

"You do seem to always get hit on the head by them," Clyne noted with humor. She then frowned. "Is everything alright? You both seem troubled."

"It's just—" Athrun started, only to be cutoff by his cohort.

"If we seem troubled, it's because your fiancé is being a raincloud," the said pilot glared at Rusty; being who he was, Mackenzie glared back. "What? Look, I've been trying to get you out of your funk for the past half-hour and have failed. So, I'll leave it to you, Lacus, to save us from your future hubby's depression. Ciao!"

The redhead floated away before Zala could chide him, quickly handing off Haro to Lacus as he passed by. With a half-hearted wave, he disappeared around a corner.

"…Sometimes I wonder if he plans everything out or makes it up as he goes," Athrun thought aloud as he stared at the empty hallway.

Lacus turned to him with a frown. "But he does make a point. Lately, you've been so negative. That's not normally how you are."

Athrun grimaced as he turned to her. "Excuse me for not being able to go to war with a smile on my face."

"No arguing you two!" Rusty's voice reverberated down the hallway. "You're not married yet!"

"God, I want to shoot him in the foot sometimes…" Athrun bemoaned, face-palming.

Though Lacus smiled, it was tinged with sadness. "I do appreciate his desire to lighten the atmosphere. Sometimes a little laughter is what we need to get through the day."

A strained smile tugged at Zala's lips. "It does help some days."

* * *

"Sir?" Rau Le Crueset found himself being pulled out of his thoughts as the door to his office opened.

"Westenfluss," Rau acknowledged. "Is there something I can help you with?"

The redcoat took a deep breath, readying for whatever this conversation might reveal or withhold. Whether his captain knew it or not, he was going to touch on several uncomfortable subjects.

"Yessir," was the curt reply. "I was just going over the battle data and video footage of every past confrontation with the legged ship and its contingent, and I've seen several… disconcerting patterns."

"Oh?" Rau felt his own curiosity spiked.

"I've watched Zala's confrontations with the Strike and listened to some logs," Heine explained. "From what I've been able to piece together, Athrun's hesitation in combat as of lately is understandable—I personally would not be able to pull the trigger either. However, during those sorties, I've noticed something else."

Rau folded his hands. "And what have you found?"

"If I didn't know any better," Westenfluss said, his voice taking a sharp edge, "I'd say you had a vendetta against the pilot of the Strike."

Vendetta? Oh, if only there was a word in the dictionary to describe what Rau had against Kira Yamato. What Heine was touching upon was merely the beginning of what Rau held against Kira, his family, and what the bastard represented.

Still, this presented a difficult situation for Rau Le Crueset. Heine was beginning to touch upon a trail he shouldn't, and several options Rau would normally utilize to shut the subordinate up weren't at his disposal—he could make an 'accident' happen, but that would require an enemy to appear out nowhere.

But what to do? Throw Heine off the trail? Give a small tidbit of truth to hide the bigger picture?

Better yet, how could Rau use this situation to come out on top?

"…An understandable worry," he began slowly, and idea forming in the back of his mind. "The truth of the matter is that I have had…negative encounters with Kira Yamato and his family."

The edge in Heine's eyes dulled. "I see… If I may, sir? Could you please keep your personal emotions out of the field? We do not need more undue tragedy."

Now to lay the bait. "Let me assure you, Westenfluss. It is not emotion that drives me to kill Yamato, but the safety of the PLANTs. If you truly understood how dangerous of an enemy he is, you'd understand why I feel a personal touch is necessary to defeat this menace."

"I do not see how the safety of an entire nation hinges upon the death of a single person." Only the slightest amount of curiosity, but it was enough for Le Crueset. "From what I've seen from the battle data, the Strike's performance has been halfhearted at best."

This was going to be a huge gamble, but the payout could be far more substantial. Even after Kira's death, Heine could prove useful. "Confidential information suggests otherwise. That it's only a matter of time before Yamato becomes a major threat, not just against us but the entirety of the PLANTs. Worse yet, the Blue Cosmos may have hand in it."

"…I'm having a hard time believing this," Heine hesitantly said.

"Yes, what I have to say isn't exactly easy to accept," Rau continued, the barest of smirks tracing his face. "But once you hear everything, though, there won't be any turning back."

* * *

The Asuka siblings were headed to the mess hall, as was typical for them after ensuring the Raid was combat capable.

"I can't believe this," Shinn groaned, hunched over in childish despair. "Cleaning the Gundams with toothbrushes? He can't be serious."

"Shut the hell up, Shinn," Mayu ordered. "If you didn't try attacking Ensign Badgirue,l I'm pretty sure they'd be less pissed at you."

The elder Asuka looked taken aback. "You've been hanging with the engineers _way_ too much, 'cause now you're starting to sound like them."

"Mom and Dad aren't going to know, are they?" she suggested slyly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill," Shinn sighed, knowing he was defeated even before it began. "I keep my mouth shut and you don't tell them about half of the crap I've done." _I have the most evil little sister ever…_

Mayu was related to Shinn, which meant they shared genetics. Of which included a troublemaking gene. Unlike her brother, though, she was far more tactful in her approach. It wasn't an everyday thing, but once in a mood Mayu could cause far more hell in one hour than Shinn could in a week. And as Shinn was quick to discover while growing up, it allowed for Mayu to take advantage of certain situations.

"Whatever, let's get some food," Shinn groused, floating ahead of his sister.

Once they entered, received their trays, and took their seats, both settled down to eat.

Not long after, Kira walked into the mess hall. Shinn was quick to hail him over, the older teen joining the pair once he got his own food.

"What's up?" Yamato asked as he took his seat.

"Eh, not much," Shinn shrugged. "Just wondering how everything's going. A lot's going on you know, with the whole joining up with the Eighth Fleet."

"I'm actually pretty excited about it," Kira said. "I'll be glad to be out of here. How about you?"

Shinn opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead, he stopped to think about it.

He detested the death and destruction wrought since he came aboard the _Archangel_. Heliopolis and Artemis had disappeared off the maps, and he didn't even want to think about how many lives he witnessed being lost. However, he could not say the same about flying the Raid. It had become second nature to him, almost to the point that losing his suit would be like severing a limb. Though it was a weapon of war, it gave Shinn a certain sense of freedom he had never felt before.

"I'm not sure," he answered, garnering strange looks from his sister and fellow pilot. "I hate being a soldier, but I love piloting, okay? Maybe once I'm out of here, I'll join Orb's military or something like that. I mean, they're neutral so I wouldn't have to fight, but then I'd be able to pilot all I want."

"You know, now that I think about…" Mayu began, tapping a finger against her chin as she contemplated. "Being an engineer is kinda cool. I mean, I'm already pretty good at tinkering with things. Why not continue? Besides, this dope would screw up his machine without me."

"Why do you always make it sound like my life literally depends on you?" Shinn deadpanned.

"Because it does. Remember that time on Heliopolis when—"

Kira tuned them and just watched their interactions, a humored smile tugging at his lips as they bickered and tried to one-up the other. What an interesting duo… If anyone met them outside of the _Archangel_, they wouldn't guess one was a pilot and the other did upkeep for said pilot's machine.

"Kira," a voice interrupted, silencing the siblings and garnering the table's attention. It was Flay.

"Oh, what's up?" Kira carefully asked, standing to meet the girl.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," the redhead offered, wringing her hands. "I shouldn't have reacted that way. I said some things I shouldn't have."

The Coordinator sadly frowned. "I'm sorry I couldn't save your father, I really am."

"You fought the hardest you could," she continued. "And I…"

"It's alright. In that situation—!" Kira tried to comfort, only to be stopped.

"You were doing your best and I knew that, but I…" Alster looked on the verge of tears.

The Asuka siblings watched the back and forth between the two older teens. One thought it looked like a cheesy soap opera and the other kept giving Flay a weird look.

And then Flay's tone changed. "Wars are so unpleasant. I wish they would just end."

It was subtle, enough so that Kira and Shinn had not noticed it. Mayu, on the other hand did. A note of surprise plucked within her at the emotions laced into each syllable.

Kira sadly smiled. "I agree."

* * *

Murrue sighed as she stared out into the canvas of stars and midnight.

They were so close. In less than an hour they would rejoin the Earth Alliance. After so much hell, hopeless situations, and loss it would finally be over. And those kids who done so much for them would be free of the war.

_I wish I didn't have to bring them into this_, she thought sadly. But it had been their only option, whether they accepted it or not.

"Radar interference! N-Jammer levels increasing! We're under attack!" announced a member of the CIC.

"Now?!" Murrue said in disbelief.

"Dammit, why now?" Natarle muttered to herself, immediately rushing to her station as the alarms came alive.

* * *

Shinn and Kira immediately bolted for the hangar, easily forgetting their unfinished food. Mayu quickly followed after, barely keeping on their tails.

The teens were in such a hurry that Kira accidentally ran over a small girl just outside the entrance to the mess hall. Mayu skidded to a stop to offer assistance, having watched the accident.

"Are you alright?" Kira asked as he bent down to help her.

Before the younger Asuka could offer any help, Flay rushed past her. "Sorry, Kira was in a hurry," the older girl apologized, helping up the young civilian.

_Her again,_ Mayu noted, carefully eyeing Alster.

Since Flay's conversation with Kira, Mayu had developed a suspicious regard for the older girl. There was just something about those words Alster spoke that bothered the younger Asuka, but she could not put a finger on it. The emotion behind them made Mayu bristle at the mere thought.

"We're entering another battle, but we'll be alright," Flay said—again, Mayu noted the change in her tone. "Because Kira will protect all of us."

"Really?" the little girl asked hopefully.

"Kira is gonna beat up all the bad guys for us. Right, Kira?" Flay pointedly looked at him, as if begging him to do just that. Mayu, for a brief second, wanted to kick her in the face.

Looking towards, the younger Asuka watched a myriad of emotions wash over Kira's face. He cycled through them so quickly that Mayu couldn't identify everything he felt. Anger, regret, determination… just to name a few.

"Oi, Yamato," Shinn interrupted, already standing on the elevator. "Get your ass over here! We don't have a lot of time!"

Without a word, Kira rushed over to his squad mate and both disappeared up the elevator while the three girls of varying age watched.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mayu turned her attention back onto Flay, wondering what was going through the older girl's mind. Or if she wanted to know in the first place.

"That's right," Flay's tone darkened even more, making the hairs on Mayu's neck bristle. "We must have him beat them all up."

Her grip tightened so much on the little girl's hand that she pulled out from Flay's grasp with a yelp, running off to wherever her parents might be. Mayu was mildly disturbed by the sight, wondering if her senior had mentally snapped.

_How many screws are loose in her head?_ Mayu wondered, quickly going in her own direction before Alster registered her presence. _Something's not right with her. And, whatever it is, she's focusing it on Kira._

* * *

"I'm going to enjoy this…" Yzak muttered, an excited grin tracing his lips.

He'd been looking forward to a rematch with the Legged Ship and her contingent for a while now. Even with the added danger of the Reach, Yzak's excitement wasn't dampened. The addition served only to up the challenge, and Joule was more than happy to accept. The battle at Heliopolis was a spot on his clean record he desired to clean, and to do that required he decimate his enemies here.

"_Down boy_," Shiho interrupted his thoughts, immediately garnering an annoyed grimace from Joule and guffaws from everyone else. "_You charge in there now, the Duel will get punched full of holes. Give me a couple seconds._"

"_We don't have that time!"_ Dearka also sounded like an attack dog getting his chain yanked back. "_Our operation only has ten minutes. If you take more than a minute—"_

"_I don't care if this takes five minutes, you better damn well give me the time I ask!"_ Shiho interrupted with a bite that made her cohorts recoil. _"The Lachrymose system is untested. Not only that, I have to ensure our own communications and weapon systems aren't jammed too. Anyone else wanna argue with me?_"

Silence.

"_That's what I thought."_

They hadn't moved away from the _Gamow_ yet, for fear of kicking the hornet's nest too early. The margin of error here was far too narrow for a single mistake. One minute too late, they'd be within firing range of the Moon Fleet. Too early, and Shiho's plan would be endangered. Then there was the chance the Siege's systems were a bust to begin with. Although the added benefit of half a squad of GINNs would help, their greatest enemy was time.

But still, Yzak was with Dearka here. He wanted to even the scores.

'_What's taking so damn_—'Yzak started, only for the radio to come to life.

"_Alright_," Shiho said, garnering everyone's attention. "_The system is initialized. Just don't change your radio channel."_

As she said it, Yzak watched the Siege's systems activate. The vents on the hip plates lit up with an eerie violet while the wings split down the middle to reveal more actinic-glowing vents. And then violet, glowing particles streamed outward from the Siege in an aurora-like movement, blown from the skirt and the split wings.

Then Yzak's systems interrupted into static, cameras and everything. The outside view was flaky but still visible. However, his radar, communications, and guidance systems were near useless, meaning he'd have to manually aim his guns without the aid of a targeting device.

"What the hell?!" he almost screamed in frustration.

"_Come on! You said this was going to work!" _Dearka joined.

"_Will you all relax?"_ the lone lady redcoat countered coolly. "_Give your systems a minute. As long as we stay on the same communication channel, the Siege will transmit a data package that will allow our mobile suits to adjust to the heavy electromagnetic interference. But if anyone turns to another channel, the data will stop and leave your systems to fail like the enemies._"

As if to punctuate her claim, the screens reconfigured and the weapon guidance systems recalibrated.

"_But what happens if the Earth Forces find the same frequency?"_ Nicol questioned.

"_I simply change it, but that's an off chance to begin with_," Shiho reassured. "_Now then… five-hundred and thirty-three seconds until they meet the Moon Fleet. Make it count, people! Follow the plan, Dearka!"_

"_Woohoo! Heartbreak Squadron, with me! The ship's ours_!" the Buster sped off with the GINNs trailing after, like a pack of wolves charging prey.

"_Nicol, start running interference,"_ Shiho ordered.

"_Yes, ma'am!"_ the Blitz also ran forward, disappearing seconds later.

With the party getting started, Yzak didn't want to feel left out. "What about me?"

"_You're going to guard me_."

"What?!" Of all the stupidest positions—

"_Look, you're one of the strongest here_," Shiho explained. "_And I'm a priority target. Once the legged ship and its suits find out what I'm doing, they're going to come after me. To make things worse, the Siege is offensively the worst suit of the set. So, don't worry; you'll get your fight. Just make sure I don't die in the process._"

Suddenly, Yzak _really_ liked where he was. "That makes sense."

Oh, was he chomping at the bit for a fight. But he could live with this. It just became a matter of patience.

* * *

"_Kira, listen,"_ Mir began. _"We've got ten minutes before we hit the Moon Fleet. So, according to the captain's orders, we're going to hit hard."_

"So, we're using the Launcher Striker this time?" Yamato questioned, adjusting his helmet as he did.

"_Not this time."_

The panels opened, revealing a pair of solid switchblades that were being mounted on the wrists of the Strike, pulled back until they were needed. From behind, a pack lowered with two large wings that almost reached the Strike's feet. They had extra engines installed at the wings' bases, engines glowing as if in anticipation.

"The Glint Striker? They actually finished it already?" Kira asked, astounded.

"_A couple days ago, actually,"_ Mir explained. _"They couldn't extend its operation time, but that won't matter in this fight. Just keep safe, alright?"_

Yamato felt a smile tug at his lips. "Nobody dies. I promise." With that, he steeled his face. "Kira Yamato, Strike launching!"

Into the great abyss the Strike flew, the large wings extending from the pack and the thrusters flaring to life. With near unmatched speed, the Strike soared towards the enemy.

* * *

After the Strike, the Reach was the first to touch the catapult, followed closely by the Estoc in mobile armor form.

"Mu La Flaga, Reach launching!" announced the lieutenant.

Once he cleared the catapult, Mu quickly perched himself on his favorite spot atop the _Archangel_. Pulling the sniper rifle off the mobile suit's shoulder, he followed the Estoc and Raid's paths as they flew to meet the squad of GINNs and the Buster.

Frowning, he immediately began scouting for the Blitz, Duel, and Siege. The Blitz wasn't to be seen (a worrying notion), but he was able to spy the Duel and Siege hanging in the back, the latter of the two was emitting some kind of violet, aurora-like cloud that was quickly spreading across the battlefield like a light fog.

Curious, he spoke into the radio. "Hey, can someone tell me what the Siege is doing?"

Murrue spoke back. _"What's wrong?"_

"It has some kind of… cloud coming off of it."

"_Oh, God…"_ the sudden panic in Murrue's voice made Mu's heart race.

"Hey, what's wrong?" La Flaga asked.

"_Everyone, get back—"_ At that moment, tendrils of the actinic cloud touched them. Suddenly, static.

"Guys?" Mu asked, receiving only a hiss from the radio. "_Guys_?! Don't leave me hanging out here by myself!"

Only more silence.

"Oh shit…" he dreadfully thought aloud.

* * *

"_Everyone, get back here __**now**__!"_ Murrue nearly screamed into the radio.

"Short-range communications are down!" Mir announced, fear tainting her voice. "We can't get into contact with our pilots!"

Natarle gave more bad news, not bothering to mask how flustered she was. "Our targeting systems have been disrupted! We have to manually aim our guns! Not only that, we can't fire any missiles since their automatic targeting systems are useless!"

"Radar's completely out!" Sai added.

"Our cameras are also showing mild interference!" another crew member announced.

"I-Is this N-Jammer interference?" Arnold asked.

"No, not even N-Jammers can pull this off," Murrue noted with growl, her hands white knuckling her seat. "The most an N-Jammer does is disrupt radar and long-range communications. No, this is the work of the Siege. That said… Prepare for a long and dirty battle."

* * *

"Another one?" Dearka noted, watching as the Strike charged headlong at them bearing a new Striker unit. "Hey, everyone watch out. The Strike's got another new toy."

He received various confirmations from everyone.

Everyone slowed and pulled out their weapons, several beams arcing towards the Strike, but just as it seemed they were going to hit, one of the Strike's wings shifted, creating an abrupt movement that allowed it to completely dodge all of the attacks and even get around the group.

"Dammit!" Dearka cursed. "Heartbreak Seven, turn around! We're gonna—"

"_Don't bother,"_ Yzak cockily said_. "Keep going. I'm defending Shiho for a reason. The ships are also nearby for extra cover, though I don't know if it's even needed."_

Elsemen hesitated. "Are you sure? The Strike seems to have higher maneuverability than normal."

"_Oh, yeah,"_ Dearka could hear the grin in Yzak's voice.

* * *

Having noted the actinic snow and the malfunctioning systems, Kira surmised it could only be the product of a mobile suit with some kind of defensive equipment. And the only MS yet to reveal any special weaponry or equipment was the Siege.

Coming to such a conclusion, Kira pushed the Glint Striker as hard as he could and bypassed the GINNs and the Buster to hit the primary threat. If they didn't get communications, guidance, or aiming systems back online, they wouldn't live to meet the Moon Fleet. Thankfully, close-range combat systems didn't overly suffer. Otherwise, they would be up the creek without a paddle.

The Siege was within sights. Pointing one of his retracted swords at the enemy, he unleashed a rain of bullets from the machine guns hidden in the swords' hilts at the wrist. As planned, the Siege moved out of the way; Kira quickly shifted the wings and thrusters, easily meeting the slower suit in the position he predicted.

"It's over!" he proclaimed as an Exora sword locked into place, the weaponized PS armor coming alight and giving the weapon a white iridescent sheen.

At the moment the Duel entered the arena, quickly meeting the attack with a saber, making sparks fly between the weapons.

Kira adjusted the thrusters, trying to evade the Duel, but the white suit pulled out its rifle and kept the Strike from pursuing the retreating Siege.

"You're in my way!" Yamato shouted in frustration.

* * *

"Guys? _Guys_?" When he received no reply, Shinn slowed. "Seriously, this isn't funny!"

He looked towards his crackling camera, watching as the fuzzy image of the Estoc slowed and transformed into mobile suit form, the head looking about in confusion. So, Stella was having issues as well…

Shinn then noted the violet dust scattering across the battlefield like a blizzard.

_It's gotta be_—Alarms screamed into his ears before he could fully analyze the sight.

Shinn barely rolled past a beam that divided the Raid and the Estoc, creating a gap that the Buster and several GINNs screamed through. Just as Stella and he reacted, they turned into the sight of the Blitz appearing out of thin air mid charge, firing its pikes at the Estoc while swinging its beam saber at the Raid.

"Shit!" Shinn barely reacted in time, bearing a glowing heat sword against the condensed photons. Before he could even counter, the Blitz kicked him away, disappearing again just as Stella fired a hail of bullets, all of them either hitting empty space or going wide.

"Shit," Asuka muttered, "Shitshitshitshit…"

No communications, no targeting systems for firearms, cameras on the fritz, and an invisible enemy… Looking back on this moment, Shinn would always say it was easily the scariest ten minutes of his life.

His head swiveled to each of his cameras as he sought a glimpse of their elusive opponent. Finally, he found the Blitz, but the sight of where it appeared caused his heart to leap into his throat. From beside Stella it struck, coming into view with an ignited saber poised for the cockpit.

"_Stella_!" Shinn screamed, despite no one being able to hear it.

In a split second, the pilot of the Estoc seemed to have caught sight of the Raid's line of sight. Stella was barely able to dodge out of the way, getting away at the cost of an arm.

With a roar, Shinn activated every thruster on the Raid, sword pulled back for a wide swing. But the Blitz drew back and disappeared again.

_H-How are we going to get out of this alive?_ Shinn thought in despair as he apprehensively looked at every camera.

* * *

"When normal people have bad days…" A lance of light separated the enemy mobile suits swarming towards the _Archangel_. "It's usually because the dog shits on the carpet or the baby pukes on a shirt."

Another ray of photons reached into the void, forcing the Buster to stop firing and evade.

"When I have a bad day…" Another arc, but no target to be had. "…it's because I can't hit the broadside of a barn with a mobile suit that's supposed to be able to shoot a penny from space!"

Three more spears of light in rapid succession, and the GINNs merely danced around them. They were beginning to realize just how useless the Reach was without the systems that made it dangerous.

"For the love of God," Mu continued to bellyache childishly. "Somebody kill the Siege so I can get my targeting system back."

Switching tactics, he traded out the Dynames rifle for both of his Ahura Mazda, getting more success with the faster firing rate and wider spray. Still, none of the enemy pilots were deterred, merely approaching with a higher degree of caution.

* * *

The bridge shook as they took fire, several GINNs squeezing past Mu's weak protection to score several light hits. Murrue nearly fell out of her seat from the last attack, as did several others.

"Damage report!" Ramius ordered as she corrected herself.

"We're getting our asses kicked! We've lost several turrets, and the starboard Valient was destroyed!" Natarle bellowed. "Is anyone targeting the Siege at all!?"

"Hold on, I'll visually confirm what's going on!" Sai announced, only to curse. "The Raid and Estoc are fighting the Blitz while it's invisible. With their systems malfunctioning, they won't be able to effectively fight back."

"Natarle," Murrue began, "do Helldarts require a targeting system?"

"No, they shouldn't," was the reply.

"Then make the Blitz reveal itself!"

"You heard her! Fire!" Natarle relayed.

* * *

Of the lot, Stella knew she was the worse off. Everyone had close range weaponry to fall back on, but the Estoc had nothing. Worse yet, all of her weapons relied heavily on targeting systems.

And she couldn't blind-fire. Not with Shinn so close. Though the Gathus submachine guns didn't cause heavy damage, all it would take was one bad shot to harm her squad mate. The Ruda cannons were simply out of the equation.

Then the Blitz took an arm, putting Stella into a borderline panic attack.

"…Help… Somebody…" she muttered as she frantically searched through her cameras. "…I don't wanna die…"

As if granting the request, the _Archangel_ unleashed a salvo that broke apart into thousands of tiny projectiles. Seconds later, the Blitz revealed itself, shielding its face as the projectiles impacted.

Though their PS armor protected the three mobile suits from damage, the Helldarts accomplished one important goal: unveiling the Blitz.

Stella was quick to capitalize with a roar, a lead followed closely by Shinn. The Estoc's wings folded over the shoulders, unleashing several beams of green/blue energy that put the Blitz on the run. Just as it started becoming invisible, Shinn came crashing down with his Beowulf swords, once again revealing the enemy machine as it parried, barely preventing the heat swords from damaging its Trikeros.

* * *

"Keep Helldarts on the Blitz," Murrue ordered. "Make sure it we can see it at all times. We just need to survive for five more minutes!"

The bridge jarred again, this time from the Buster punching a hole into one of the _Archangel's_ legs. Mu turned his full attention on the tan suit and green suit, raining laser bullets to deter the Gundam from trying another attack.

"What else is going on?" the captain continued once she recovered.

Sai replied. "The Strike is trying to get at the Siege, but the Duel is covering it. Wait…The enemy ships are targeting Kira!"

* * *

"What the hell did they give the Strike?" Yzak growled out past clenched teeth, a bead of sweat floating off his face.

Before chaos erupted, Joule was sure he'd be able to match any opponent that charged forth. But now he had to reevaluate his opinion.

The Duel was struggling to keep up. Missing a half a leg and sporting several close calls, Yzak had to wonder where legged ship hid such a weapon unit, and why they hadn't used it until now.

He parried a wide sword slash, and then dodged as the Strike followed up with a wave of bullets from the retracted sword. Just as the blue and white suit tried to take advantage of the opening to get past the Duel, several broad beams forced it to evade.

"_It's called the Glint Striker,"_ Shiho answered, firing several more shots from the Siege's rifles. _"I thought it was incomplete, but it seems they finished it."_

"What in God's name does it do?" the ivory-haired teen demanded.

"_Weaponizes Phase-Shift technology,"_ Hahnenfuss curtly explained. _"It's powerful, but has a ten-minute operational time. Which is, unfortunately, not a problem for the legged ship during this sortie."_

"Great…"

Out of the corner of his eye, Yzak watched as the _Andoryan_ and _Gamow_ approached, their cannon turrets circling about to take aim.

"_Joule,"_ Talia said. _"We're going to provide cover fire. Clear the area."_

For once, Yzak allowed himself to appreciate the back-up.

Following orders without question, Yzak maneuvered backwards. The Strike moved to pursue, but the _Gamow's_ cannons forced it into evasion. The _Andoryan_ was quick to mimic, but the Glint-equipped Strike proved to be an elusive opponent, swerving between the attacks and countering with shoulder-mounted Saluax cannons that silenced one of the Andoryan's turrets with a potshot.

After getting several seconds to breathe, the Duel was ready to reenter the ring. Igniting a beam saber and readying a rifle, Joule charged forward.

"You're not going to get away from this," Yzak growled out.

* * *

"_Dearka, I need a hand,"_ Nicol said. _"As long as they're firing those shrapnel rounds, I can't go invisible."_

"Alright, give me a second," Dearka confirmed.

Flying outside the range of the _Archangel_ and the wild shots of the Reach, the Buster combined its guns into sniper rifle mode. With one well-placed shot, Elsmen silenced the launchers, returning the battle's advantage to them.

"_Thanks_," Amalfi said.

Switching out for the anti-artillery shotgun, the Buster followed up by scrapping an array of turrets.

"The Naturals came up with some weird systems," Dearka observed. "But damn if they aren't effective. I'd hate to imagine that Lach-something system being used against us."

* * *

The rain of Helldarts vanished, and both parties knew what that meant.

"No way in hell I'm going to let you get away!" Shinn was the first to react, firing both rocket anchors.

The Gleipnir met one of the rocket anchors, knocking it off trajectory; the other was countered with the Trikeros shield. Before Nicol could apply the mirage colloid, Stella followed up with a rain of blasts from her Ruda cannons, forcing the Blitz to maneuver out of the attack.

When the Estoc's attack let up, Nicol instinctively ignited his beam saber and met the Raid in a sword clash. Instead following with another strike, as typical of Shinn's style, he launched a rocket anchor, hoping to insure the Blitz stayed in view.

"Got you!" Shinn victoriously said, only to nearly bite his tongue as he entered into an uncontrolled roll, courtesy of a GINN body checking the Raid to free up the Blitz.

Righting himself, Shinn watched as the newcomer pulled a solid sword, as if challenging him. Angered, Asuka turned his swords as hot as possible and charged with a roar.

Only to be stopped by the Blitz appearing out of nowhere, allowing the GINN to rejoin the main flock. Before Shinn could counter, the Blitz disappeared again.

"Dammit…" Shinn quietly cursed, once again going on the defensive.

* * *

"No…" Yamato muttered, panic welling up like a hungry beast.

Kira watched as the Raid and Estoc fought a losing battle against the Blitz, barely keeping the invisible suit from making a critical strike. He watched as the remaining GINNs and the Buster carefully picked apart the _Archangel_, Mu barely able to keep them at bay with the Reach and its wild potshots. Away from it all, the Siege watched, like a vulture looking upon a dying animal.

And himself… the Duel viciously attacked with aid from the enemy ships, restricting movement and preventing any hope of reaching the Siege to lift the electromagnetic curse that befell his comrades.

The Strike shook as the Duel continued to press its new advantage, going in for several quick strikes, pull back and allow the ships fire a salvo or two while firing its own rifle, and then repeat like clockwork. Simple, yet it was effectively keeping Kira at bay.

_They're really trying to defend the Siege_, Kira noted. No doubt, the black and violet Gundam was the cornerstone of their plans this time. And it was being very effective in its role.

And out of the fading light of another cannon attack, the Duel appeared, beam saber poised for a finishing blow. Kira reacted a half-second too late, barely able to bring an Exora to defend against the oncoming blade.

How could they turn this around? Could everyone be saved?

"_And what about you? Everyone here is your friend, right? Then that means you have to defend them, or am I wrong?"_

"_It's your fault! It's your entire fault!"_

No, he couldn't fail here again.

"_That reality makes this so sad."_

"_If you had a way to change this war, would you take it?"_

"_Kira is going to beat all the bad guys up. Right, Kira?"_

It couldn't end like this…

"_Nobody dies, I promise."_

In the back of Kira's mind, a violet jewel bounced and shattered.

* * *

"It's over!" Yzak roared, savoring every microsecond it took for the sword of condensed light to cleave his opponent asunder.

Finally, it was going to end here. Every embarrassment, every failure since starting this mission was going to cleansed away by the blood of his enemy. And he wanted nothing more than to rub it in Athrun's face.

Suddenly, everything changed.

As the saber came crashing down, the Strike suddenly activated a stray thruster, maneuvering past the weapon by mere feet. With trailing light following the phase-shift sword from the sheer speed of the movement, the Duel's attacking arm was bisected. Just as the second sword followed, Yzak blocked with his other saber.

Yzak's heart skipped a beat at the unexpected change. _H-How?! Everything was…?!_

With every thruster flaring to life, the Duel was pushed back with the Glint Striker's superior engines. It wasn't until the heard Shiho's scream Joule realized something very wrong. "_YZAK, GET HIM AWAY FROM ME_!"

The bastard was driving him towards the Siege! And the ships couldn't fire, not without harming the Duel!

"Hold on!" the white-haired teen gritted out.

He poured every ounce of power he could into the engines, but the Strike wouldn't give. Just as Yzak changed tactics, the enemy pilot pulled back and delivered swift kick into the Duel's torso, following with a blast of white energy from a pair of cannons mounted on the shoulders, flash-melting the remaining arm and part of the torso.

Effectively, Yzak was eliminated from the fight. And he could only watch in horror as the Strike raced towards the Siege.

* * *

Shiho was desperately shooting at the Strike, but the machine swerved, twirled, and dodged with the grace only an elite pilot with an equally powerful machine could perform. Without a doubt, the driver in the Strike's seat was pushing the machine to limits unknown.

The _Andoryan_ and _Gamow_ fired beam after beam towards the Strike once it cleared the Duel, but with inhuman precision, the Strike pegged each of the offending turrets with from its PS cannons, even with the disruption of the Lachrymose system.

For a split second, Shiho wondered if the pilot of the Strike was even human.

"_I'm coming!"_ Nicol vainly tried to assure, but Hahnenfuss knew it was a useless endeavor.

She discarded her gun for a saber. But just as she slashed at the approaching machine with a roar, it smoothly slid past the wide arc. The Siege couldn't retreat fast enough as its split wings were clipped off, followed by a slash that cut through the bottom half of her machine, effectively silencing the Lachrymose system.

The systems overloaded from the damage, the screens erupting and cutting into Shiho's helmet. She screamed, blood dripping between fingers held to her face.

All of her electronics destroyed, she couldn't hear everyone crying out her name. It didn't even register when her machine jerked, signaling that the others were taking her away from Death's door.

There was just… so much… pain…

* * *

Flay remained silent as she watched Strike perch itself atop the _Archangel_ next to the Reach, a dark smile tugging at her lips. From her position outside the bridge, she could hear everyone's awed reactions to Kira's inhuman performance.

"_Holy crap,"_ Mu finally breathed out. _"I've never seen piloting like that."_

"_Dude, you've _got_ to teach me how to do that,"_ Shinn added in wonder.

Flay could almost hear Kira's gentle smile. _"It was nothing. Really."_

"_Nothing, my ass!"_ Shinn countered.

Finally, as it sunk in that they survived the seemingly hopeless ordeal, cheers and relieved sighs erupted from the bridge from another near-death escape.

"That's right," Flay told herself as she strolled to her quarters. "You'll beat all of them up for me, won't you, Kira?"

_**Author's Note**_: The longest SaBS chapter yet! The first half of this chapter was actually kind of difficult to write; I had to watch the episode this chapter encompasses several times before I felt comfortable with the scenes I wrote.

So let's review. Flay's mental breakdown continues, Mayu is beginning to see something's going on with her, Rusty is his usual self, and Rau begins manipulating Heine. Then it's topped with a climatic, desperate battle in which the ZAFT actually uses strategy!

Several things were like canon, but that's okay; we're really going to branch off in the next couple chapters. How? Well, that'd be spoilers.

Kudos to anyone who sees the references. I'll give anyone an E-cookie if anyone can point them out.


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